Twig
by Coeur de Coquelicot
Summary: Some moments with Eli seen through Ace's eyes - A sidefic for 'Freckles'
1. Stupid Gift

_'Freckles' - chapter 4. Eli's sixteenth birthday._

**

* * *

Stupid Gift**

Ace was sitting on his bed, panting heavily from the run home.

_Stupid, stupid gift_, he thought, glaring at a small, blue-striped bag.

The reason why he even bought her the gift was still uncertain.

_Because she wanted to swim..._ said a voice in his head.

He sighed deeply slumping down.

Still, it was so cheesy, she'd make fun of him for sure. She always did, for everything, and that stupid gift wouldn't be an exception.

Ace ran his fingers through his raven hair and raised his head a bit.

Yep, the bag was still there, and the boy could almost hear it laughing at him.

_Stupid, stupid gift..._

He stood up and grabbed the bag firmly. After all, he had bought her the stupid gift; it would be even more stupid to keep it. What would he even do with a girl's bathing suit...?

And she'd better be happy.

He slammed the door behind him and ran back to Makino's tavern.

* * *

Rapidly scanning the establishment, Ace soon found Eli in a corner of the room. She was looking at a group of laughing people with a soft smile on her face.

The boy inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, plucked up courage, and marched up to the girl.

"Oi, Twig," he called out. His tone was sharper than intended.

She looked at him and tilted her head questioningly.

"I've got something for you," he simply said before walking away briskly. The boy didn't want this embarrassing moment to be witnessed by all the townspeople... or else they would surely make fun of him for the rest of his days.

Walking out of the tavern, Ace crossed Makino who gave him a knowingly wink.

_Oh please..._ the annoyed boy thought, sighing deeply.

* * *

Once outside, Ace waited for Eli's footsteps to come to a stop, and he turned around resolutely.

The girl looked a bit confused, her wide green eyes locked on the boy. Apparently she wasn't expecting a gift from him, even though it was _her _birthday.

_I knew I shouldn't have gone through the trouble at all..._ he thought. _The party was more than enough..._

Anyhow, he was there now, and he had the stupid gift in his slightly sweaty hands. There was no turning back possible.

Ace threw her the bag roughly. After all, it was just a stupid birthday gift, nothing to get all touchy-feely about.

He gulped involuntarily as he saw her look inside the bag.

_She's going to think I'm a pervert..._

It's not like he wanted to see her in a bathing suit. Who would, anyway ? The girl was so flat, it would be like looking at a little girl. A little girl with freakishly long arms and legs.

"Makino chose it," Ace specified hastily, scratching the back of his head. He didn't want her to start imagining things.

Eli raised her head from the bag and looked up at him, biting her bottom lip.

"But I can't swim," she said, obviously puzzled by the boy's gift.

"I know that." Ace rolled his eyes.

If she was going to be as slow as Luffy, he'd rather give the whole thing up.

"I'll swim for you," the boy said, resting a hand on his hip.

Eli grinned.

_What ? No joke ? No 'you're so mawkishly romantic, Freckles, I might throw up' ?_

She just gave a beaming grin and ran quickly behind a bunch of trees to change.

Ace sighed and walked to the beach with his hands in his pockets.

_Stupid, stupid gift..._

_

* * *

_

Ace was sitting on the beach waiting for her, digging his hands in the sand absently.

The boy had planned the whole thing in his head. He was going to take her on his back, swim a couple of minutes, and that was it.

_See ? Nothing to be so anxious about._

He sighed, wishing this was already over. Hopefully, it would be soon, and then he could forget this stupid day.

"Well, how do we do this ?"

Ace stood up and looked at Eli. He had to admit, she looked better that expected.

The swimming suit Makino had chosen was a dark blue two piece with a tube top. Looking at her legs, the boy thought he might have been wide from the truth saying they were freakishly long. Somehow, without her usual small shorts, they seemed even longer. They were so thin, yet not frail. He could tell she had been training a lot. Her belly was tiny and firm. And her chest... well, flat it was, but not as _flat _as expected, and the swimsuit was so tight-fitting, he could perfectly make out the shape of her small, perky breasts.

_Stop that !_

Ace looked away, clearing his throat.

"I'll carry you and-" he started to explain.

"Bridal style ?" Eli asked eagerly, bringing her hands to her cheeks playfully.

_What is wrong with this girl !? _he yelled inwardly. _One day, I'll really carry her 'bridal style' and she won't be laughing._

"...no Twig..." He sighed, forcing a smile.

She giggled. The girl really enjoyed tormenting the poor boy. Didn't she see how difficult the whole thing was for him ?

"Okay then, let's do it," she said cheerfully.

* * *

Eli climbed on his back as soon as he turned around. She secured her arms around his neck and tightly wrapped her slender legs around his waist.

Ace had carried the girl in this same fashion countless times before, but he was always wearing a shirt, and so was she. This time, there was too little fabric to prevent him from feeling her soft skin brushing against his.

As Eli nestled her chin on his shoulder, the nervous boy felt her soft breathing on his hair.

_Stupid, stupid gift..._

Ace shivered as he slowly strode through the chilly sea. When the water level went past his waist, he already felt the girl's embrace weakening.

"Are you okay ?" he asked.

"Yeah... Hey, what if you fall asleep in the water ?" Eli asked.

Even though she was making fun of him and his narcolepsy as she always did, the girl's voice was a lot softer than usual. It was almost sensuous. Was it because of the closeness they were experiencing or the weakening effect the sea water had on her ?

Probably the latter...

"I won't, don't worry, Twig," Ace replied softly.

The water was now reaching his chest. He decided it was enough to start swimming.

Eli let a soft gasp escape her mouth as she tried to keep her arms around his neck.

Ace was surprised. He had never imagined that the boyish Eli was even capable of emitting such a... _delicious_ sound.

"Oi, are you feeling sleepy ?"

It took the boy some time to process the meaning of the sentence as the lustful-sounding tone of the girl's voice made his guts twist.

_Oi, it's Eli. Your buddy. Better keep that in mind._

"Nope."

As the minutes passed, the girl became heavier. Eli tried to pick herself up a bit, but her body seemed so weak and unresponsive that Ace had to secure her arms around him so that she wouldn't slip away.

"Are you feeling sleepy now ?"

The wrenching feeling in the boy's guts strengthened as her lips softy grazed his ear. Was she aware of what she did to him ?

If he didn't know her, he would have called her a tease.

Ace inhaled deeply to ease the ache in his stomach.

"Nope," he managed to say despite his tightened throat.

The boy blamed it on the hormones.... There was no other plausible explanation for his sudden arousal to his friend.

The hormones, and her lascivious behavior.

Hopefully, the nightmare would soon be over, and she would be back to her normal boyish and jesting self.

"... Ace... dive... please..." she stammered really slowly.

It was the last straw for the poor, hormone-driven boy. Eli had said his name in the most exquisite way, effectively setting his body aflame.

Ace dove under the sea, hoping that the fresh water would clear his perverted mind of the graphic images that were now playing over and over again.

He let her go for a split second as he couldn't bear to feel her body pressed against his any longer.

A few seconds later, as the boy came back to his senses, he whirled around and saw Eli slowly drifting away.

_Damn !_

_

* * *

_

A few minutes later, Ace keeled next to her wet body now lying on the beach in what he couldn't help but see as an extremely luscious way. She looked so vulnerable there. Water dripped from his raven hair onto her heaving chest as she panted for breath.

The boy jerked away and fell on his back next to her.

_Oh god..._

Ace rested his forearm on his closed eyes.

He couldn't understand how he had let himself get excited over a girl like her. Her figure was rather bad compared to the girls he had went out with before. Plus, more importantly, she was his friend, his pal, his buddy.

Damn, she was almost like a sister to him.

"Thank you, Freckles."

He rolled his head onto its side to look at her.

Drops of water trailed over her smiling face.

"It was really the best !" she told him heartily.

_Maybe that wasn't so stupid after all...._

_

* * *

_

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_So as you can see this side of the fic will be more... heated...  
I hope you'll like it though._

_Also I didn't want to make Ace actually angry toward Eli.  
You have to understand that he uses anger to lessen his nervousness.  
And don't forget he's only sixteen now, he wouldn't react like that if he was twenty. _

_Well, tell me what you think :)_


	2. Litchi Bliss

_'Freckles' - chapter 5. Ace and Eli's night together._

* * *

**Litchi Bliss**

Lying on the couch in the living room, Ace was looking absently at the moon through the window, for he couldn't sleep in his own bedroom due to Luffy's loud snoring. Well, at least he thought that was the cause of his insomnia, but the truth was he just couldn't sleep because tomorrow morning he would be leaving his home... and his only family. The boy would miss his little brother, but his dream was greater than that. He was seventeen years old now. He was a man and he couldn't let himself be held back by his family anymore.

Ace would miss Eli, too. More than he'd ever admit to. Even if the girl had come into his life only one year and a half ago, Ace held her dearly. She was his first friend of the opposite sex, and even more than that, she was his best friend, his lovely best friend....

Ace sighed and brought his forearm to his eyes.

Hearing faint footsteps coming from the corridor, the boy sat up and narrowed his eyes trying to figure out who was up at such a late hour.

_Of course.... It had to be her...._

"What are you doing ?" he asked, walking to Eli.

"Ace ?"

_Ace ?_ Whenever she called him by his name, he felt weird. That was all her fault, after all; if she hadn't been calling him by his nickname all the time he would have gotten used to it.

"I woke up, and I was going to drink some milk," Eli said, walking to the refrigerator. "Want some ?"

"No thanks," he replied, getting closer to the girl.

As she sipped the cold milk, Ace observed her. Was she always wearing this at night ? A large and yet disturbingly short t-shirt barely reaching her thighs.

"Are you okay ?" Eli asked, looking at him worriedly.

He nodded slowly. Of course, he would have been even more 'okay' if she hadn't come here to disturb him. Ace watched her walking to the sink to rinse her now empty glass, her hips swaying interestingly.

When the girl swung around briskly, he jerked his head up straight away. "Hey, you should get wasted, Freckles !" Eli said, a large grin plastered on her face. "That's what pirates do, right ?"

Somehow, it didn't seem like a good idea, but he didn't contradict her. As she reached for a bottle of litchi liqueur hidden above the cupboard, her short t-shirt raised slightly above her panties. Ace rolled his eyes to look away.

Walking to the middle of the living room, Eli sat down on the wooden floor, folding her slender legs. Ace followed her silently.

She served him a glass and handed it to him with a wide grin. "Here you go !"

The boy looked at the glass absently. It really seemed like a bad idea. He glanced at Eli who was pouring the liquor in her own glass. As she raised it to him cheerfully, Ace mimicked her and they gulped down the fiery liquid simultaneously.

Eli kept refilling the glasses and the boy was starting to feel a little dizzy. As the heat of the alcohol spread through his body Ace gazed at her face dreamily. Her green eyes were hazy from the alcohol, her charming beauty spot resting on top of her rosy cheek, her full lips.... She was pretty.... The girl gave him a warm smile, leaning forward to refill the glasses once more.

_Really pretty.... _

Ace always thought that Eli was pretty, but he never really allowed himself to linger on the subject. As she straightened up to gulp down her glass, his eyes fell on her pale spread thighs. Trailing up, his eyes rested on her captivating panties, his thoughts wandering beyond the flimsy fabric.

The girl's lovely laugh brought him back to reality. Shaking his head, Ace tried to focus on her face.

She was so pretty and so deliciously naïve. Ace knew from her jolly behavior that the girl had no idea how exciting she was to him at the moment. And that made her even more attractive.

Eli served them yet another glass of liquor, gulped her own down, and licked her lips slowly. His eyes followed her tongue. What a bewitching sight.... The boy wondered how it would feel to taste those lips. Eli's lips...

_Just a little kiss... _

A little, innocent kiss. After all, he would leave tomorrow and who knows when he would see her again.

Ace felt his guts wrench picturing his lips on hers, his tongue caressing hers... And why stop after a little innocent and meaningless kiss ? His fingers tingled imagining his hand slipping under her t-shirt, caressing her soft skin, up her chest...

_"Are you still a virgin, Freckles ?"_

The girl's question resonated in his mind as the air grew thin and heavy.

_"Maybe you should get rid of it before going to the sea."_

It was almost an invitation....

Eli was laughing loudly and the convulsions of her body made her spill the bottle on the floor. "Okay... you'll be the barman now," she said, wiping the tears in the corners of her hazy eyes.

Ace leaned forward to pick up the bottle. Raising his head a bit, he watched Eli giggling charmingly. Without giving it a second thought, the boy crept toward her slowly. She didn't seem to notice how close he was as she was still giggling stupidly. Ace felt compelled to awaken the dense girl by pressing his hardened member against her thigh.

He must have gotten her attention since her giggles stopped at once, and her green eyes locked onto his, gazing deeply. Ace brought his hand slowly to her cheek, brushing his thumb against her warm lips. With a slow intake of air he slid his fingers through her short hair and slowly leaned forward, just enough to let his lips linger a hair's breadth away from hers. Seeing her biting her bottom lip, he licked his automatically and tilted his head to close the unbearable gap....

"... You can't kiss me, Ace," Eli said, taking hold of his wrist.

_What ?_

The girl's rejection sobered him up instantly. Ace retreated, his eyes never leaving hers.

_"You can't kiss me, Ace._"

_Why ?_

He gave her an outraged look, yet soon guilt soon rose up inside him. Eli had never shown any signs of consent for his forward behavior. Ace looked down as he couldn't bear to look at her anymore. Her hand was still gently curled around his wrist. Ace wanted to pull back, run away in the fresh night to clear his mind, but his desire whispered him words of encouragement.

_She wants you, too..._

When she stood up slowly and pulled him up, the boy followed her obediently through the corridor and to her bedroom. Standing still in the middle of the room, he looked around questioningly as if it was the first time he had entered the girl's bedroom.

"I... I don't understand..."

Eli closed the door quietly. "You just lust for me, Ace..." she said, her back turned to him. "If you want, we can... do it." She turned around to face him. "But we'll skip the romantic act."

_What ?_

Ace was befuddled by her offer. She agreed to have sex with him... but not kissing him ? He had never really thought of Eli as a tricky girl. Apparently, he had some rethinking to do.

The girl walked past him, climbed onto her bed, and sat on her knees in the middle of the mattress. Ace heard her breathe deeply before taking slowly her t-shirt off. He stared at her bare back. Her pale skin was calling for him. He had expected himself to hesitate, at least a few seconds, but he didn't. Ace joined the girl instinctively on the mattress feeling it bend under his weight. Resting his left hand on her small shoulder and the other on her hip, he leaned forward and kissed her neck hungrily.

Hearing her giggle lightly, he retreated a bit.

_What now ?_

"Sorry ! It's... just... so... weird..." she stammered between laughs.

Frowning, his grip on her shoulder tightened. He was dead serious and she was laughing, laughing at him ! Ace briskly pinned the giggling girl on the mattress. His sudden reaction made Eli let out a gasp of surprise, before laughing louder than before. The lustful boy stared at her with burning eyes, anger as well as desire raising inside him. The girl's laugh resonated in his head, driving him crazy. He had to make her stop, now.

His hand resting on her shoulder, Ace crashed his lips onto her breast, slipping his free hand under her panties, his finger inside of her...

"GAHH !"

_Gah ?_

At least she was quiet now. Ace enjoyed the silence, kissing her small and firm breast greedily. The only fact that it was Eli's breast, and the taboo it represented, caused his growing reaction to harden against her thigh. He threw a glance at the girl. Her head was turned toward the window, the light of the moon lighting her blushing face. Licking the tip of her breast, he watched with delight as she bit her bottom lip. Encouraged by a soft gasp, Ace deepened his exploration of her womanhood. She was tight, warm, and wet. The boy closed his eyes, picturing another part of him squeezed in her tightness.

"Ace..." Eli called out quietly.

But the boy barely heard her, for he was too focused on her body, her warmth, her softness...

"Ace," she repeated a little louder.

Raising his head, his half-lidded eyes met hers. Seeing Eli lifting herself up, using her elbows for support, Ace sat up.

Had he gone too far ? Too fast ? He brought his hand to his sweaty forehead.

"I'm sorry..." he said, looking down to avoid contact with her practically naked body.

"It's okay," she said softly.

Getting slowly closer, Eli grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt, pull it off over his head and threw it carelessly on the floor. She wrapped her slender arms around his heated body, pressing her bare chest against his.

_Oh god... Eli..._

His train of thought vanished when he felt her fingertips grazing his scalp while her mouth played on his neck, sucking, licking and biting his sensitive skin where his pulse throbbed underneath her tongue. Ace's eyes almost rolled into the the back of his head as he felt Eli rubbing her hips against his hardness...

Next thing he knew, both of their underwear were gone to who knows where, and Ace was hovering above the girl, his erratic breathing brushing against her face. The intoxicating smell of litchi caused heat to spread through his head. Resting his forehead on hers, their lips only a breath away from each other, he again felt the pressing want to kiss her... Passionately, deeply, for he needed to taste every last bit of her. His heated lips trembled. Hers were so close and so painfully desirable, he just had to close this tiny gap to finally satisfy his wish....

_"You can't kiss me, Ace."_

"Why... why won't you let me kiss you ?" he asked, still gazing at her slightly parted lips.

Eli smiled heartily. "I can't allow myself to fall for you, Freckles." She stuck the tip of her tongue out playfully.

And with her lovely laugh, the heavy tension vanished instantly. That was the Eli he liked. How could he have forgotten ? She wasn't just any girl he lusted for; she was his best friend.

He smirked raising his head. "Hell, I know what you mean ! Tomorrow, I'll be a pirate !" he said proudly.

As he slid his hand to her side, she started giggling.

"Stop laughing !"

"Stop tickling me then !" she retorted on the spot, lifting herself up to look at him with a slight frown.

Eli let herself fall on her back again and inhaled deeply. Ace watched her heaving chest as she breathed slowly to calm herself down.

"You look nice, Twig."

"Don't go there, Freckles, or I'll kick you so hard, your freckles will fall off your face.... Then I could steal them for myself.... Maybe I should...." She chuckled.

He sighed deeply and gave her a soft smile.

Eli wrapped her legs around his waist, and took another deep breath. "Okay... go now."

"Are you sure ?" he asked, as he felt apprehensive about the important moment to come.

"Yes." She nodded with a slight frown.

Ace lifted himself, using his arms for support. "Okay, then I'll-"

"Slowly, Freckles," she said softly.

"I can't be any slower here, I'm not even inside..." He sighed.

Ace tried clumsily to find the entrance, wondering how it could be so difficult since he had easily penetrated the girl with his fingers. As the seconds passed, his attempts became more hesitant. The boy who was in a predicament looked at Eli wondering if she was losing patience, but when her eyes met his, she gently guided him, shifting her hips for better access.

_There...._

Penetrating her slowly, the boy felt the heat between his legs diffusing to the rest of his body. It felt so good to feel her enveloping his length so tightly.... He pushed himself inside slowly as he wanted to avoid as much pain as possible for both of them.

"...Ouch."

Ace looked at her wincing face worriedly. "Are you okay ?"

"Yup, just... wait for a bit please." She closed her eyes, and breathed slowly again.

The boy found it hard not to move, for the weight of his body prompted him to go further. Gazing at her, he wondered how much pain he had inflicted her, hoping it would not keep herself from carrying on. The waiting felt like an eternity, his body weighing heavier as the time passed, sweat building on his forehead.

"Okay, go."

He didn't have to be told twice. Ace slowly pushed himself further, deeper, feeling pure bliss as her tightness enveloped him.

"Okay, I'm in," he warned her when he was completely immersed inside her.

"Are you some kind of minesweeper, Freckles ?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

Ace sighed. Couldn't she take him seriously for once ? They were having sex; the ordeal itself deserved some respect, after all.

"...Well, you know what to do next, right ?"

Oh yes he did. Without wasting one more second, he started moving back and forth inside her, taking his time to enjoy the new sensations.

_Oh, god...._

And it felt good.... Ace let a soft groan escape his mouth. The boy had never experienced something even close to this before. Peering at her curiously, he hoped to read the same pleasure on her face, but, to his disappointment, Eli was stiffly staring at the ceiling.

"Feels weird...." she said quietly, her eyes still focused upward.

_Weird ? Not... good ?_

Uneasiness made his guts wrench. What if he was just bad ? He wanted her to feel the same bliss. His pride as a man was at stake.

"Is there something on the ceiling ?" he asked, annoyed by her detached behavior.

"No..."

"Why do you watch it so intensely then ?"

"Distraction from your weird face." She laughed.

_Weird face ?_

"What ? I do not-"

Eli's annoying answer and his angry reaction made Ace thrust himself rather quickly, eliciting a soft and delicious moan from her. He smirked.

"Did you say something, Twig ?" Ace asked, obviously amused. "I didn't quite catch that."

"...Shut up..." she whispered, her lustful eyes plunged into his.

As his pace hastened, waves of contractions in his arousal sent shivers through his spine. He was drowning in a whirl of divine ecstasy, his mind filled with her soft whines, the thrilling scent of litchi, and images of her heated body clung against his. As the frequency of the waves increased, the boy fought against his need to accelerate, for he knew it would make him lose control....

"... Faster..."

And with this exquisite, irresistible request, Ace lost focus....

* * *

Ace was woken up by the blinding light of the morning sun. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. It took him a few seconds to realize he was in Eli's bedroom, and a few more to remember _why _he was in her room, in her bed, naked....

The boy let himself fall back on the mattress with a deep sigh as images of the heated night came back to his drowsy mind like a whirlwind.

He was a bit disappointed to see that he was alone in the bed. But accordingly to their unspoken agreement to keep their friendship intact, Eli probably had made a wise choice, for he knew he would have had a hard time restraining himself if he had woken up next to her.

The soon-to-be pirate didn't have time to linger, though. He stood up, looked for his scattered clothes, and walked to the bathroom.

Under the warm water, Ace let his thoughts wander freely through his memories of the night. He smirked thinking how he was a fully fledged man now.

Getting dressed, he looked at his reflection. _Today's the day !_

When he entered the living room, Ace saw his little brother sitting in the corner of the room, pouting. He watched as Luffy stretched his arm to reach a plate of pancakes.

"Don't eat them yet !" Eli yelled at the boy, hitting his hand as it was dangerously threatening the pancakes' lives.

"But I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo hungry !" Luffy whined, rubbing his hand. "Ace !" He jumped up happily to greet his brother.

"Morning, Freckles !" Eli came his way holding a plate containing a pancake in the shape of a Jolly Roger.

But what caught his sight were the red marks on the girl's neck, making him a little embarrassed. He wondered if Luffy had any idea of what he and Eli had been doing last night... but seeing him acting like he always did, he concluded that his brother's cluelessness was, for once, a good thing.

After a quick breakfast, Ace was ready to go, so the three of them walked leisurely to the harbor. On their way, the villagers waved him goodbye.

"I'm off," he announced, throwing his bag into his small boat.

"Remember your promise, Ace !" Luffy said with a large grin plastered on his face.

"I won't get beat up, Luffy," he replied, patting his younger brother's head. "I'll see you on the Grand Line."

"You're the man Freckles, go kick some butts !" Eli said, giving the thumbs-up.

He smiled at them and jumped into his boat. "See ya !"

Sailing away from his hometown, Ace looked over his shoulder at the waving girl heartily, wondering when he would see her again...

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_Yay ! Achievement : Fist Lemon completed._

_Now you **have **to tell me what you think !  
I'm kinda nervous about this, you know since it's my first..._

_I actually had to ask details from guys so that Ace's thoughts and sensations would be as realistic as possible.  
(and it was quite painful and awkward as you can imagine...)_

_Anyway I really hope you liked it, I worked hard on it after all :)  
_

_See you soon~  
_


	3. Chocolate and Coconut

_'Freckles' - chapter 14. The celebration in Cocoyashi._

_

* * *

_

**Chocolate and Coconut**

From the moment Ace saw the bottle of litchi liqueur behind the barman, he thought about Eli. It seemed that since their night together, he had subconsciously associated the tropical fruit with her. The young man smiled imagining how thrilled she would be if he brought her a bottle of her favorite drink.

Unfortunately, the barman wasn't too keen on giving it for free, pretending it was way more expensive than plain grog. Ace grumbled emptying his pockets. He managed to gather a few beli, and after insisting heavily, the barman finally agreed to give him the bottle.

Ace strolled through the main street looking for his friend and soon found her sitting in a small alley with Zoro.

"Yo !" he greeted, crouching before his two mates. "I found something for you, Twig."

"Really really ? What is it ?"

Ace smiled seeing her clapping her hands excitedly. She looked like a child before Christmas.

"Tadaaaa !" He proudly held up the bottle of litchi liqueur.

"LITCHI !" she cried out, clasping her hands happily.

Pouring the translucent liquid in a small glass, the scent of litchi caused excitement to warm his insides slightly. During his journey, Ace had found himself easily attracted to the women who had this bewitching litchi smell. He had wondered then if that was the normal effect a first time had on everyone...?

Slowly drinking the fiery liquid, Ace gazed at Eli. For a second, he saw a glimmer of sensuous delight in her green eyes while she gulped down the liqueur voraciously. The young man let his mind recollect the night they had spent together three years ago. The images were a bit fuzzy but still slightly exciting. He remembered how clumsy he was back then, and he smirked thinking about how much he had improved since then.

"Where is your fan club, by the way ?" Eli asked before gulping her second shot.

The girl's question pulled him out of his reverie. "Fan club ?"

"You know the-" Eli hit her chest with her fist and cleared her throat. "OH MY GOD... It's Fire Fist Ace ! NOOOO ? Oh my god you're right, it's really him ! Fire Fist Portgas D Ace ! Aaaaaaah ! Huhuhuhu ! Hihihihihi !"

_What ?_

The young man was used to being teased by Eli. Back in Fuschia, that was apparently the girl's favorite hobby, and she had easily had the upper hand on him then, but since their reunion, Ace had found himself teasing her back evenly.

However, right now, Ace wasn't in the mood for that kind of game.

"Okay, no more litchi for you !"

"Oh please please please." She clasped her hands together pleadingly, making a puppy face. "I'll behave !"

The young man sighed in retreat before her cute yet annoying face and gave her another drink.

"Litchi is my favorite favorite favorite drink in the whole wide world !" she said, gazing at her glass.

Apparently, their night together was long forgotten for Eli. What did he expect ? And why did he bring her the very same alcohol they had drank together that night ? Simply because it was her favorite... or to make her remember ?

After a few more drinks, Ace caught Eli's hazy stare on him. He saw her bite her bottom lip, apparently holding back a laugh.

"What ?" Ace asked, frowning at her mocking face.

"Oh my GOD ! I want to touch his hair... I can't believe he's so hot ! I'll ask him out ! NO I'LL ask him out ! NO ME !" she sputtered using an annoyingly high pitched voice.

"Okay, that's it !" Ace stood up briskly under Eli and Zoro's loud laughs. "I'm leaving !"

How could she tease him about that ? She had been equally attracted to him a few years ago. What made her think she was any better than the very girls she mocked ?

"Don't let her drink anymore !" he said harshly to Zoro, pointing at Eli rudely.

"I'm not her mom..." the swordsman replied bitterly.

"I like you, Zoro !" Eli raised her glass toward the swordsman. "You're my favorite favorite favorite guy in the whole wide world !"

"Everyone is your favorite right now..." Ace said in an exasperated tone.

"Ohh don't be jealous Freckles, you know you're my favorite favorite favorite favorite..." Eli's voice faded as Ace marched away from the small street.

_What an annoying brat_, Ace thought, frowning angrily.

Apparently, in spite of the three years that had passed since his departure from Fuschia, the girl hadn't grown a bit... yet _he_ did. Yes, he was very popular with girls. Was that a bad thing ? And who could blame them ? He was rather attractive, very strong, and fairly well known... but Eli mocked him despite these impressive attributes. What angered him the most, though, was that she was apparently completely immune to his charms.

Ace sighed shoving his hands in his pockets.

It's not like he was attracted to her anymore. The young man had met a lot of women during the past three years. Exciting and experienced women, with voluptuous bodies. In that regard, Eli was hardly in the same league as them.

The problem was that he didn't know how to handle her. One minute she was making fun of him, and the next she acted all intimate... like when they met again at the Baratie.

_"Still unable to button up a shirt as I can see..."_

That was the very first thing the jesting girl asked to her long-lost friend, but then... the way she talked. The way she looked at him...

Ace sighed again while sitting down on a barstool and ordered a pint of grog while checking out the flirty waitress. The young man smirked. Yes, he was attractive and if Eli wanted to make fun of him for that, he'd just let her do so. He would just mock her equally for her lack of sex appeal.

"What was her name ?"

"I think it was Eli or something, she's one of those pirates."

_Eli ? My Eli ? _That drew Ace's attention toward two men sitting next to him.

"I don't get it, she's flat as a board !" one of the men said mockingly.

"Nah, I like 'em that way, small perky breasts are the best," the other replied, sneering.

Rage started boiling in Ace's mind, and his grog, too.

The first man laughed loudly. "I still don't get it."

"You should know... skinny girls are the horniest ones !"

Ace clenched his fists and stood up briskly as anger as well nervousness rose inside him. When he had left Eli, she was already fairly drunk, and he knew how ardently inclined she could be when alcohol broke down her inhibition.

Walking back to the little street, Ace soon found himself hastening his pace, his running mind displaying disturbing images of Eli with some filthy men taking advantage of her vulnerability...

_If someone dares touching her..._

Upon seeing the alley, Ace's worry only grew for he could see that Zoro was sitting alone.

_Damn ! Where is she ?_

The young man covered the last meters running, rudely jostling villagers on his way.

"Zoro !" he called out angrily, wondering if the swordsman could have let her go off with some dirty strangers.

Zoro looked at him, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Where is Eli ?" Ace asked urgently.

The young man's laugh caused impatience to heat in his anxious mind.

"Over there," Zoro said, pointing to the back of the street with his thumb. "She's throwing up," he specified, still laughing.

_Oh..._

_

* * *

_

Walking toward Eli, Ace's fury quickly dissipated. She was lying on the grass, thankfully alone, gazing at the night sky. The young man felt a bit stupid flaring up like he did.

Eli raised her head to look at him curiously. "It had to be you, right ?" She sighed, letting her head fall on the grass.

Ace smiled crouching next to her. "Are you alright ?"

"I kinda feel like shit if you really want to know." She ran her fingers through her sweaty fringe. "It's all your fault, though... I should punish you with my deadly vomit breath..."

Ace laughed softly looking at her pitiful state. He was glad to see that the bad scenarios he had imagined were all very far from the truth. When he got up, he offered Eli his hand to help her stand, but her legs didn't seem very cooperative, and she almost fell back on the ground.

"Want me to carry you ?" he found himself asking instinctively.

Seeing her nodding timidly, the young man smiled.

"You're actually not asking for a 'bridal style'," Ace jested, turning around to offer her his back.

Eli secured her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I'm not a kid anymore, Freckles..." she mumbled, nestling her chin in his shoulder.

_Really ?_ He laughed softly again. She was acting very much like one in his opinion, and if anything, her pouting tone of voice was solid proof of that.

As a deep sigh escaped Eli's mouth, Ace couldn't help but agree with her previous statement. "You're right, your breath is really deadly," he teased.

"Shut up..."

The young man laughed childishly. Eli was probably the only girl he'd dare to tease about that sort of thing, just like he would with any male friend. She was really a tomboy, and he liked her just that way.

* * *

After letting Eli freshen up at a fountain, the pair was strolling through the main street looking for something to fill her painfully empty stomach in order to regain some strength.

"There's so much to choose from, Twig," Ace said, smiling. "I don't understand how you can be so fussy."

Eli grumbled attentively observing every booth, making all kinds of disgusted sounds at the sight of every different dish she saw. Apparently, nothing seemed to please her.

"And what about that parma melon thing you've-"

"NO !" she cried loudly, cutting him off. She cleared her throat. "No parma melon..." the girl finished quietly.

Ace blinked, confused by her abrupt reaction, and decided to drop the sensitive subject.

"Erg... no meat please..." she said, wincing at the sight of a roasting booth.

Ace silently chuckled, settling his hands behind his neck.

"Oh, crepes !" Eli exclaimed cheerfully, walking bouncily as if the sign of the very colorful booth had made her regain some stamina.

_At last_, Ace smiled following her slowly.

"What do you fancy, my dear ?" the old woman running the booth asked, smiling warmly.

"Chocolate, coconut and cream please," Eli ordered politely. She turned to face Ace. "What about you, Freckles ?"

"Chocolate and cream for me please," he said, "coconut is too weird..."

"Weird ?" Eli raised an eyebrow disdainfully. "You don't know what you're talking about. Chocolate alone is boring and arrogant. But when you pair him with coconut, the fun begins." She explained it enthusiastically as if she was talking about living things.

Ace laughed. "You're aware that you're talking about ingredients, right ?"

"Here you are," the woman said, handing them their order.

They thanked her politely and walked away through the crowd.

"Try it !" Eli said, offering Ace her crepe, but as he was going to take a bite, she took it back quickly, ate all the whipped cream hungrily, and gave it back.

Ace rolled his eyes, amused, and took a bite. Eli stared at him intensely as if to read his thoughts. The young man chewed slowly, really taking his time to study the strange mixture, under her impatient stare. He had to admit, she was right; the blend of those two ingredients was really good.

"So ?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure..." Ace said slowly. "Let me try once more." He leaned forward, his mouth wide open to engulf her entire crepe.

"NO WAY !" she yelled before gobbling it light-speed.

He laughed childishly, until she devoured _his _crepe in a split second as well...

* * *

About an hour later Eli was starting to feel tired, so the pair walked back to the small alley were Zoro was still sitting and still drinking. The young man could sure hold his liquor; that was an undeniable fact.

"Yo," Ace greeted, sitting next to Eli on a wooden box.

The girl looked silently at the festivities with weary eyes.

"How can they still be celebrating ?" Zoro said coolly. "It's been three days already."

"After seven year of complete oppression," Ace added, smiling at the sight of the joyful villagers.

"I guess you're right." Zoro grinned, handing a bottle of sake to the young man.

They drank, silently enjoying the villagers happiness from afar. Who would have thought that pirates could free people like them from their evil oppressors ? Ace was highly proud of his little brother and his crew for the good deed they had accomplished here.

After some time Ace felt Eli gently paw his arm and slowly roll her head on his shoulder. He smiled heartily watching her sleeping face...

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter.  
Hopefully, the next one will be better..._


	4. Forbidden Toy

_'Freckles' - chapter 19. Ace warming up Eli's sprained wrist.

* * *

_

**Forbidden Toy **

As the Straw Hat pirates spotted Whiskey Peak in the horizon, Ace decided to go wake Eli up. It seemed that his old habits died hard because as soon as she joined the crew, the young man had found himself once again assigning himself as the one to wake her just like when they were living together.

Entering the lounge room, Ace smiled seeing his friend comfortably lying on the couch in a fetal position, her back facing him.

Standing next to her, Ace bent a little to see Eli's sleeping face; her head was bowed forward, and her arms and legs were drawn in toward her chest... She looked like a little girl, small and vulnerable, yet at peace... The exact opposite of her awake self. The young man had always liked seeing her in such a state of exposure.

As her head was bowed forward, the sleeping girl's nape caught his attention. Ace could easily picture her small tattoo hidden behind her wispy curls.

"Twig," Ace called out softly to ensure that she was really asleep.

And after a few seconds, as he could only hear her deep and regular breathing, the curious young man extended his fingers to reach out for her strands of hair and carefully set them aside... revealing the lovely star. Gazing at the small tattoo, Ace wondered what exactly it stood for. Was it because of her love for the celestial bodies... or something deeper ?

When Ace had seen it for the first time, Eli had seemed so shaken by images of her past that he couldn't see... Images of a man she loved. A man with no name, a man with no face... a man who died years ago.

_"No one loved him as much as me."_

Did she still love him ?

Curiosity rose as Ace gazed deeper at the little star. Who was that man, and what was so extraordinary about him that made his friend so in love with him ?

Ace sighed and sat on the couch's edge.

"Eli, wake up," he forced himself to say, in order to put an end to his disturbing train of thoughts.

And here was the other Eli; jumping up instantly, she looked around dizzily, her eyes still showing signs of drowsiness.

"WHAT ! ANOTHER LEAK !" she yelled with a creaked voice.

Ace laughed; she just looked so stupid, he couldn't help it.

"No, we've arrived at Whiskey Peak," he said, amused.

Eli let out a sigh of relief and slumped down on the couch as ungracefully as possible. Ace gazed at her as she stretched her thin arms and legs, sticking her chest out with a long and suggestive-sounding moan. His lips curled up as he watched his friend run her fingers through her messy chocolate hair, untamable, like the rest of her...

She must have caught his intrusive stare since she looked at him and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What ?" Eli asked, sounding rather annoyed.

Her simple question snapped Ace out of his daze. He blinked rapidly, wondering why he was even staring at her... Nothing really interesting to see there.

_I must be tired._

"Nothing..." Ace said quietly, standing up. "So, are you coming ?"

Looking at her over his shoulder, he saw Eli nodding silently, her eyes focused on her left wrist.

"Still hurts ?" he asked, remembering that she had sprained it a little when the both of them were wandering around in Laboon.

"Just a bit," Eli said softly.

Somehow, instinctively, Ace found himself sitting down next to her and taking her wrist in his hand to warm it up.

Eli's wrist seemed so thin and frail in his large hand, Ace felt that it would get crushed if he held it any tighter. Also, her skin felt kind of cold compared to his, but within the warm hold, it soon matched the flame user's unnaturally high body temperature.

Ace looked at his friend to ask if she was feeling any better, but he forgot his question when he saw her blushing face...

Why was she even blushing ? He was just holding her wrist, nothing to get all excited about... yet her nervousness was obvious. It made him wonder, what if Eli had never had this kind of close contact with a man before ?

Well, of course there was their night together...

Peering at her blushing face, Ace kept trying to read the girl's mind... Was she thinking about it right now ? It would explain her uneasiness. The simple idea of Eli thinking about their night of sex right here, right now, so close to him, made him smirk involuntarily. How proud he was to feel her fragile wrist trembling slightly in his hand. Try as she might to feign indifference, the chatty, annoying, and haughty girl was at last showing her true colors... Nervous and speechless before the very man who had taken her virginity.

At that moment, Ace felt that Eli was his, and his only.

And if she was getting that disorientated over something as casual as him holding her wrist, how would she feel if he actually _touched _her with his experienced hands ? What if he let his free hand caress the exposed skin of her slender thigh ?

They were so close; he just had to lean forward a bit to lay her on the very couch they were sitting on. He would press his bare chest against hers, and kiss her trembling lips... because this time, he wouldn't let her refuse him her voluptuous lips. He would stroke and savor the flesh that none but her had luck to taste. He'd slip inside her unexplored mouth, caressing her hesitant tongue with his, expertly.

_She would love it..._ Without noticing, Ace licked his heated lips in anticipation.

Then he would pull her T-shirt over her head and kiss the skin that no other man but him had seen. Kissing and sucking her small breasts like never anyone had, because she was his...

The inexperienced girl would certainly be surprised of the improvements since the last time. There would be no laughs this time, for she would be incapable of mouthing anything but his name with that delicious voice of hers.

Her slender legs firmly wrapped around his waist... he would thrust himself inside of her, deeply... her thin back arching under his assaults... her full lips swollen from his passionate kisses... her divine whines and moans unheard from other ears than his... her green eyes looking at him with burning desire, pleading him to go deeper... faster...

"Stop that."

Eli's voice reached his ears, jerking the young man out of his erotic trance.

"What ? Why ?" he found himself asking stupidly over the sounds of whines echoing in his head.

Frowning, Eli took her wrist back from his grip. "Stop womanizing me !" she said harshly.

_Womanizing ? _Ace was relieved... Eli wasn't aware of the pornographic fantasy that had been playing in his head, featuring her as the leading actress.

And how cute she was to think that holding her wrist was enough to be labeled as a womanizing move.

"How could I ?" he asked smugly. "You're not even a woman yet." He smirked before her utter candor.

Eli shot her leg into his smirking face, throwing him to the other side of the room violently, and before he could say anything, she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her furiously.

Lying on the floor, Ace sighed deeply running his fingers through his raven hair.

_Not a woman, heh ?_ Pretty twisted thing to say while he was picturing banging her on the very couch they were sitting on...

Ace could not ignore it anymore, not with his sore member strained against the rough fabric of his underwear...

He wanted her.

The barrier he had unconsciously built calling her a kid, calling her unattractive, had found itself really useless facing the girl. She wasn't a kid, and, to his eyes, she was far from unattractive. Her body might not seem appealing to the other men, yet _he _liked it.

And Eli hadn't even needed to do _anything_. His mind had gone wild without any kind of suggestion from her part.

Ace sat up and sighed deeply as he felt guilt building painfully inside of him, digging his guts relentlessly.

He liked Eli, and even if they teased each other everyday, he had always respected her deep down inside. She was smart, courageous, strong, trustworthy... More than that, Eli was one of the most amazing girls he had ever met, and Ace had found himself very lucky that she was his friend... his precious childhood friend. Yet this time the young man had looked down on her, fantasized on her lack of experience... played with her in his perverted mind as if she was just a stupid toy...

Thankfully, Eli wasn't aware of that, thinking naïvely that it was still just a game for him. Therefore, he could return to her and let her lovely smile wash his guilt away...

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_Short but good right ?  
I wonder if you were aware of Ace's wild thoughts while reading the scene in 'Freckles' :P_

_I like the last sentence..._


	5. Fireflies

_'Freckles' - chapter 24. Eli's 20th birthday.

* * *

_

**Fireflies**

_"It's late, let's go home," Ace said, observing the dark sky._

_"WAIT !" Luffy yelled from afar. "Lemme try it one last time !"_

_Ace looked at Eli who only shrugged._

_"Okay, do it th-"_

_"GOMU GOMU NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"_

_Ace and Eli took a step back simultaneously._

_"ROCKET !"_

_Their hair was blown away as Luffy propelled himself right in front of them at an amazing speed._

_"Looks like he finally got the hang of it," Ace said, looking in the direction where Luffy had shot himself._

_"Yup." Eli nodded. "Hey, isn't there a cliff that way ?"_

_Ace's eyes widened; she was right._

_"Damn !" The both of them started running toward Luffy._

_Seeing only his hand gripping the edge of the cliff, Eli dashed over to him at light-speed._

_"ELIIIIII !" Luffy yelled, as he began to lose his grip._

_"Gotcha !" Eli caught his hand just in time and smiled... before she started falling with him._

_Her head snapped in the direction of the older brother, who was running as fast as he could toward the two fruit users. "AAAAACE !" she yelled, thrusting her arm toward the boy._

_Ace dove and managed to catch Eli's hand, but he quickly found himself attracted to the void just like the two idiots he was trying to save._

_Plummeting down the cliff, the three teenagers cried insanely for they couldn't even see the end of their fall._

_"LUFFY, DO THE BALLOON THING !" Ace yelled to his little brother._

_"THE WHAT ?" Luffy yelled back frantically. _

_"BLOW YOURSELF UP !" Eli screamed in an unnatural high-pitched tone of voice._

_"Oh.. GOMUGOMUNO-"_

_"DON'T SAY IT, JUST DO IT !" Ace barked, as he could at last see the bottom of the cliff... getting dangerously closer._

_Luffy groaned, and he opened his mouth to suck in a large amount of air, inflating himself instantly... a few seconds before they hit the ground._

_The three teenagers bounced up screaming their lungs out, bounced down, and up... and finally ended up falling in a marsh with a loud splashing sound._

_Dizzily, Ace stood up and looked around for Luffy and Eli. His little brother was lying in the shallow water, slowly deflating himself, while Eli sat up on her knees panting heavily. Ace's relieved face morphed into horror seeing that behind her, a huge crocodile had opened its large jaws, ready to close them on her._

_"ELI, BEHIND YOU !" he yelled, dashing toward the beast._

_Eli's head snapped around, and in a split second, she jumped up and shot the crocodile away with a powerful kick._

_"Owowowowow..." Eli fell back into the marsh holding her leg._

_"Are you okay ?" the two brothers asked, watching her rolling around with a wincing face._

_Eli glared looking up at the two brothers. "Do I look... like...I'm... What is that ?" she asked, looking upwards._

_The two brothers looked up and saw a swarm of fireflies hovering above the marsh._

_"Fireflies..." Ace said quietly, slightly mesmerized at the beautiful sight of the glowing lights dancing in the air._

_Eli stood up slowly, her eyes never leaving the glowing insects. "Fireflies...?" she asked quietly._

_"Glowing bugs," Ace specified, smiling at the girl's amazement._

_"Even I know that !" Luffy said mockingly. _

_"Well," Eli began after a minute of silent gazing. "Fireflies are officially my favorite bugs." She grinned happily at the two brothers. _

_Luffy caught one of the fireflies to show it to the girl, and when she opened his hands, her cheerful face quickly morphed into disgust. "Ewewewew..."_

_"But I thought that-" Ace began smugly, but found himself cut off as Eli slammed her hand on his mouth._

_Eli gazed up once more, her eyes dancing as the glows reflected in her green orbs._

_"Fireflies are officially my favorite bugs... from a distance..."_

"So... how can I help you ?" Eli asked slowly, apparently wondering why Ace had joined her on her watch duty.

* * *

Ace smirked. She was so dense... It was _her _birthday after all, yet Eli didn't seem to guess that was the reason why he had come to her on this special night. The young man searched through his pouch and produced the small bag containing the girl's present.

"Happy birthday," he said, giving her the small bag.

Eli stared at the little bag confusingly for a long moment. Had she actually thought he'd forget her birthday ? A quite impossible thing to achieve from the way they had spent the first one...

"The gift is inside, Twig," Ace pointed out, impatient to see the look his gift would put on her face.

Eli grumbled opening the silk bag carefully. She tilted it, making the large pearl fall into the palm of her hand. When it touched her skin, it started emitting a faint greenish glow. Eli tilted her head questioningly, gazing at the shining pearl.

"It's called a firefly," Ace began to explain. "It's a pearl that glows when warmed. I found it in an island called Akoya that harvests all kinds of pearls."

Eli closed her hands on the pearl and blew inside to warm it. When she opened her hands again, the pearl's glow was a lot brighter. Her lips curled up in a blissful smile.

"You like shiny things, right ?" Ace said smugly.

"I DO !" Eli replied happily, the pearl's glow reflecting in her green eyes. "... sounds like I'm a child though..." she pouted.

Ace laughed heartily. "But you are, Twig !" he said, amused.

"I love it," she said happily, and surprisingly gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

"It's nothing... really. I came across it during my journey and I thought you might like it..." he found himself blabbering, slightly embarrassed.

_Right... It's not like you had to borrow money from half of your crew, officially becoming the ship's slave for three whole months..._

"I still love it, Freckles! And now I have to think of a gift for your birthday..." The girl brought a finger to her chin and looked upward thoughtfully. "You like pervy stuff, right ? ... Now where do I find a blow-up doll..." She stuck out her tongue playfully at the laughing young man before gazing deeply at her lovely gift.

_Totally worth it though..._ Ace thought proudly, gazing at his happy friend.

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_I know that it's short but I like it anyway.  
I hope you too._


	6. Sweet Poison

_'Freckles' - chapter 26. The warm embrace in the snow Kingdom.

* * *

_

**Sweet Poison**

Ace felt bad... Vaporizing the avalanche like he had done hadn't been such a good idea after all. Well, it might have been if Eli had ran away like he had told her to, but the stubborn girl that she was had stayed, and now she was as drenched as physically possible. And of course, being that wet in a country as cold as the one they were in did not go well together.

"Atchoo !"

Ace sighed hearing Eli sneeze once more. They were much too far from Big Horn now... Therefore, they had to find somewhere safe for her to warm up and for her clothes to dry.

"There !" Ace said, spotting a small cavern carved into the mountain. "Go in, I'll gather some wood."

Eli walked at a snail's pace toward the cavern while Ace ran over to the first tree he saw, chopped it down with a powerful punch, and dragged it to the front of the cavern's entrance.

"Why are you so slow ?" Ace asked, throwing large rough chunks of wood inside.

Eli's only reply was a long, dark, and shivering glare...

_Okay... I'll just shut up..._

The flame user ignited the stack of wood with a simple touch and turned around to watch his friend. Eli was standing behind him, her eyes focused on her tremblings hands and the zipper of her coat they were desperately yet fruitlessly trying to grip.

Naturally, he stood up to offer her his help, but she took a brisk step back.

"I I ccan do itt myselffff," Eli said, her blueish lips trembling relentlessly.

Ace frowned. Her stubbornness was limitless, yet if she wanted to act all tough, he would just have to use the same trick he used with his little brother: let her try and see for herself that she actually needed his help.

"Really ? Do it then," he said, taking a small step away from the shivering girl.

Clenching her chattering jaws, Eli tried once more to order her shivering fingers to grip the zipper but couldn't even manage to keep them still for a second.

"Frr Frakkk !" she barked after a minute of vain attempts.

"See ?" Ace said trying not to sound too condescending, as he knew that with her pride, the girl would rather die frozen than endure his lack of respect.

Immediately, Ace zipped down her coat, took it off, and let it fall to the floor with a squishy sound. The young man sighed seeing that even her sweater and trousers were dripping wet. It looked like she had taken a bath with her clothes on...

_She's not gonna like this..._

"The sweater and the trousers have to go, too," Ace said gravely. "They're completely drenched."

Eli rolled her eyes, yet to his surprise, she did not mouth any complaint. As she raised her arms slightly, Ace grabbed the bottom of her soaked sweater, pulled it off over her head, and threw it next to the fire camp. With a short intake of air, the young man bent a little, unzipped her jeans, and slipped them down her long legs swiftly.

"Thisss iss sooo emmbabarasssssingg," Eli said, looking upwards.

Standing up, Ace couldn't help but notice that the girl's T-shirt was soaked, too, as the fabric was sticking to her frozen breasts.

"Well, get used to it, 'cause I have to take off your t-shirt, too," he said, trying not to look at the tip of her breasts showing through the wet cloth.

"Dddon't !" Eli said abruptly, briskly covering her chest with her arms.

Ace sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. "This is not a good moment to be prudish, Twig."

"I ddon't wearrr brrra..." Eli said, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh..." He blinked in surprise. "Never ?"

_Okay... that was stupid..._ Ace scolded himself right after hearing himself utter the highly perverted question.

"It'sss nott likkke I neeed onnne, anywayyy," Eli said, sitting down and curling up into a tight ball next to the campfire.

_Got a point there._ He smiled, carefully placing the girl's clothes on a rock near the fire to dry them off.

Looking outside, the pirate tried to picture the route he and Eli had taken to get there. They had left Big Horn about an hour ago, and if they walked back without interruption, they should be able to reach the town in less than half an hour.

A sudden whining cry of pain jerked Ace out of his thoughts. He rushed over to Eli's side.

"What's wrong ?" he asked urgently, watching her trembling like a leaf, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Itt burnsss !" Eli sobbed, clenching her trembling fists.

Ace knelt down and took her cold hands in his. Gently opening them, the young man was worried to see her blueish fingertips. Eli was suffering from frostbite, which explained why the harsh heat of the fire had burned her. At that, Ace felt kind of stupid; he should have thought about it. Eli needed to be warmed up slowly, and the only option with which to achieve that was obvious... yet Ace already knew that his stubborn friend would not like it.

As Eli drew her hands out of his soft grip, Ace was surprised to see a glimmer of fear in her eyes. What was she scared of ?

"It'ss okkayyy noww, thanksss," she said, staring at the flames.

Ace sighed. Even if she wouldn't like it, Eli would have to accept it; her health was at stake. He sat next to her and put his hat on the cave floor.

"Come here, I'll warm you up," Ace said, opening his arms. "Body heat is best in this situation."

"I don'tt thinkkk ssso..." Eli said quietly, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Thisss iss ssoooo ccliché..."

"I don't care if it's cliché, Twig," he scolded harshly, glaring at her stubborn demeanor. "Stop acting like a brat !"

Eli abruptly stood up and glared back down at him, using her height as a proof of her strength.

"Yyou sstopp accting likke a ffrakking knightt in sshining arrmorr !" she snapped, her fists clenched in anger. "Jusstt go andd fffind some helpp !"

His face rose to look at her, Ace saw again the fear in her eyes. Was she afraid of _him _? Didn't she know he could never hurt her ?

"I won't leave you alone, idiot..." he said softly, standing up as well.

Her desperate green eyes on him, Ace wrapped his arms around her and firmly pressed her trembling body against his, feeling a swift shiver run down his spine as her cold skin came into contact with his warm chest. She seemed as cold as the snow...

Looking over his shoulder, Ace took a few steps back to sit on a large rock. He grabbed her frozen legs, wrapped them around his waist, and rubbed her bare skin gently, as he felt that he could easily damage her fragile skin.

Feeling Eli wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her cold face in his neck, Ace smiled.

"Warm..." she murmured drowsily.

_See ? _he thought. _Wasn't such a bad idea_. The young man decided to keep that to himself, though, in order to keep her relaxed, hoping that she would soon fall asleep.

Now they just had to wait for her to warm up a bit and for her clothes to dry, and then he would take her back to Big Horn. He thought of the possibility of taking her while she was asleep, for they would surely get there faster if he carried her. Eli would need to eat to regain some energy. However, her frostbite was worrying; she might need to see the Doctor and that was troublesome. Climbing the huge mountain alone wouldn't be a problem, but with-

"You smell good..."

"Wha-" Ace gasped and almost jumped up feeling Eli's cold fingertips crawling up his neck.

_What the hell ?_

Ace stiffened up under the capturing sensation of Eli's fingers strolling through his hair, scratching his scalp softly. The young man wanted to say something but couldn't seem to find his voice as Eli's sweet touch had caused his throat to tighten painfully.

Was Eli aware of what she was doing to her friend ? Or was it the effect of her drowsiness ? The girl had never been so forward. Well except for...

_Don't you dare think about that right now !_ the young troubled man ordered himself firmly.

Clenching his jaws, Ace tried not to enjoy her fresh touch against his heated scalp. And it was only then that he noticed where his hands were... under Eli's shirt... caressing the soft skin of her back lovingly.

_What the hell ?_

Ace withdrew his hands on the spot, but what was done he could not forget, and the tingling feeling on his fingertips kept reminding him how much he already missed feeling her skin in his needful hands. Try as he might to conceal his desire for Eli, Ace's treacherous body had acted without his mind's consent and touched the skin he so desperately needed to touch...

Inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly, in motion to ease the twisting sensation in his guts, Ace tried to focus his attention on the flames dancing in the campfire but couldn't manage to ignore Eli's breath caressing his shoulder while her fingers curled into his hair softly.

What a divine torture she was inflicting upon her friend...

_Oh, god..._

At first, the flame user thought he was imagining it, for there was no way Eli was really kissing his shoulder. His sensitive skin could not lie, however, and Eli _was _kissing him... her cold lips lasciviously trailing up his heated neck.

The consequences were almost immediate. With a soft and torturous breath as he finally let go of the excruciating restraints that had been holding him for much too long, Ace leaned forward and rested his warm mouth on his lovely friend's skin, fresh as a winter breeze.

Tasting the sweet poison, Ace crept up Eli's neck, his lips silently mouthing forbidden words of desire and love...

"Eli...?" he whispered softly in her ear.

Gently pulling her away, Ace smiled seeing that the girl had fallen asleep. Cradling the back of her drooping head, he gazed at her pretty face. He lifted his free hand to her cheek, brushed his fingers against her beauty spot, and slid his fingers through her chocolate hair.

Of course... How stupid he had been. Everything was clear now, and it felt so good. Finally, Ace understood why he kept following Eli everywhere she went, why he was so worried about her, why he wanted to touch her so desperately, and why a simple smile from her always made him feel good...

He loved her.

Seeing her shivering in her sleep, Ace pulled her back into his warm arms.

With the long awaited release of his feelings toward his lovely friend, Ace's mind, at long last, was at ease. Eli wasn't just a toy for the fantasies of his sick mind; she was the girl he was in love with... and even if he already knew that he would have to be extremely patient for her to accept his feelings, Ace couldn't help but smile.

From now on, a new kind of game would begin...

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**


	7. The Demon's Child

_**Spoiler alert : don't read if you haven't read One Piece chapter 550.**_

_

* * *

_

_'Freckles' - chapter 35. Without a word, Eli stood up and walked out of the tavern, her mind rushing with Ace's words repeating over and over again, and the feeling of betrayal digging deep through her insides..._

* * *

**The Demon's Child **

"Where is your girlfriend ?"

Ace raised his drooping head from his glass and looked at the barmaid absently. She was obviously referring to Eli and it made him smile wryly.

"She's not my girlfriend," he said, slowly pushing his glass away. The barmaid didn't have to know that; it was clearly none of her business if they were a couple or not, so why did he even reply ?

"Sorry, I thought you made quite a pair," the barmaid said in an amused tone that made the flame user wince against his will.

Ace stood up and searched through his pouch to pay for the drinks.

"She paid already."

_Of course..._

Eli had probably thought that he would run away without paying once more and therefore took care of the bill herself. Somehow, even if it was insignificant, Ace found himself feeling extremely uneasy before the barmaid's eyes.

Walking slowly out of the tavern to go back to the inn, Ace felt simply empty.

At first, seeing Eli walking away from him, he had thought of running after her, but what for ? There was nothing more to say. He couldn't just erase what he had said, and why would he ? It was all true. There was nothing more to say and nothing to lessen what he had said. Even if she didn't accept it, even if she didn't accept _him_, there was nothing he could do, no matter how much it hurt...

Ace could regret telling Eli the heavy secret of his origins, but he did not. The young man had promised himself years ago to live his life without regrets, so he would accept it, no matter how much it hurt. But it did hurt; that was an undeniable fact.

However, it wasn't his fault; it was his damned father's. Just how long would his old man ruin his life ? Because of him, Ace was hated before he was even born, and the hatred hadn't lessened as he grew up. The demon's child...

Was that how she saw him now ? Would the girl he was in love with hate him because of his damned origins ?

Feeling anger rising inside of him, Ace felt the need to see Eli smiling at him; he needed her to be with him, _his _Eli, his naïve, cheerful Eli.

_"Gold Roger is your father ? How cool is that !"_

Ace smiled wryly; of course there was no way she could have reacted like that. And he wouldn't want her to react like that anyway because he hated his father, guts and soul. But then, what kind of reaction had he been expecting ? The answer was nothing... Ace didn't do it for a reaction. He just felt that he _had _to tell her. And somewhere, even if he hardly accepted being the son of this dreadful man, he somehow wanted Eli to accept him despite of his loathsome lineage. And because he loved her, she _had _to know.

But was it worth it in the end ? Now he had told her, and now she was gone.

With a deep sigh, Ace entered the inn wearily. The young man took another room separate from the others as he yearned for a moment of solitude, him alone with his dark thoughts...

Ace climbed the stairs listlessly, opened the bedroom door, and entered the lightless room, welcoming the darkness as his sole company. He threw his boots and hat roughly and walked absently to the window, the creaking of the wooden floor accompanying his every step.

The night sky was so clear that it was sparkling with the thousands of stars glowing brightly. The young man wondered if Eli was looking at the stars right now as well, and so the image of Eli gradually formed in his mind; standing in the empty street, her head rose to gaze at the celestial bodies, their glitter reflecting in her lovely green eyes.

Ace had never met someone who liked the stars as much as Eli did. At first, he thought it was kind of stupid; what was so interesting about them ? They were standing still, silent, and distant, sparkling almost disdainfully at the humans that were foolish enough to get caught in their mesmerizing sparkle. At first, he thought that she was just a romantic girl who was amazed like any other girl at something so shiny and out of reach.

However, there was something more with Eli... with the way she talked about them as if they were living things, as if they were real people, with their stories and names, and then, when he listened to her talking tirelessly of the stars, it felt like he could almost touch them.

Taking a few steps back, Ace let himself fall heavily on the bed. The young man's mind was now filled with only one question: would she ever talk to him like she did before, or were they fated to grow distant ?

Running his hand through his raven hair, the fear Ace felt inside of him was growing more painful. There was nothing he could do to keep Eli by his side. No matter how much it hurt, he would have to let her go, and maybe that was for the best...

Because he was sure of one thing: he could never bear to have her look at him with hatred.

Maybe he was the demon's child to everyone's eyes, maybe he should never have been born, yet he could endure their glares, he could endure their hate; it even gave him more strength and will to go on and prove to them that he was more than that. However, he could never bear to have her, the girl he loved, look at him with those lovely eyes of hers filled with hatred...

Hearing the door slamming open, Ace sat up instantly, his head jerking over his shoulder.

Because of the lights of the corridor, she was just a faceless silhouette, but he couldn't be mistaken; she was here.

"ELI !" he exclaimed bewilderingly, completely taken off guard by her sudden and vigorous entrance. "What the hell ?"

"I'm sorry," Eli said, closing the door slowly behind her.

Even in the darkness, Ace could feel her eyes fixed on him. He turned his head toward the window as he was too scared to face her right now.

"It's okay, I-"

"I'm sorry !" Eli interrupted him.

Something in her voice made his heart skip a beat. But why was she apologizing ? For not knocking ? For interrupting him ? He wasn't even asleep, so there was really nothing to be sorry about.

"I told you, it's-"

"I'm sorry, Ace !" Eli interrupted again, a bit louder.

Her voice right behind him, Ace knew she was getting closer, and feeling the mattress bend lightly under her weight made him feel like something was clenching his insides forcibly. He was in no condition to see her right now, and he didn't want her to see him so weak.

Eli wrapped her thin arms around his shoulders and Ace felt the clench on his insides tightening...

"I'm sorry," she said again, her soft voice caressing his ear.

A small glow caught his eyes from below him, and, lowering his head, his eyes fell on her pearl. The pearl he had given her, the pearl he was so proud to see on her. And somehow, this faint glow made him melancholic.

The young man didn't know what to do. Eli obviously wasn't apologizing for her sudden entrance into his bedroom; she was apologizing for her reaction to his revelation, and Ace wasn't prepared for that, nor for such close contact with the girl he loved.

Eli got closer, and Ace felt her chest pressing against his skin and her chin nestling on his shoulder.

"I'm so stupid, Ace, I'm so damn stupid !" she claimed loudly in an almost self-deprecating tone.

With every one of her apologies, Ace felt a bit more sad. He couldn't find the strength to say anything; he couldn't even find the words... and being in her arms felt so good, Ace feared that with a word or a movement from him, he would break the fragile moment, and she would once more vanish.

"I'm sorry..." Eli repeated once more, her voice so soft that it barely reached his ear.

Ace felt her body trembling slightly against his, and at that moment, the fear of Eli's hatred disappeared, replaced by one that was even more frightening... Was she crying ? Did he make her cry ? Ace couldn't let that happen, that would be worse than anything.

He turned around slowly and sat down in front her peering at her face, her lovely eyes locked with his. She looked so sad, yet Ace still couldn't find the words. Therefore, the young man just gave her a small smile; it was faint, but there was nothing more he could do.

He gave her a smile hoping to see hers.

Eli did not smile, though; she didn't even say a thing... She straightened up slowly, lifted her hands to his face, and gently cupped his cheeks. She was so tall and thin... Ace was hypnotized by her every movement, they were flowing and free, tender and sure.

Eli pressed her forehead against his, smoothly... warmly... like never before.

"I'm so sorry..." she said softly.

But Ace did not care, he did not hear. His eyes diving into hers, the young man was bewitched by the rare display of affection. It felt so good, he wanted more, he wanted more of her, he wanted to _feel _her and, for the first time, Ace inwardly ventured the want for her to love him...

As Eli tenderly brushed her delicate thumbs against his cheeks, Ace felt a warm feeling washing over him.

"I just felt a bit lost, but I'm here now..." Eli paused, biting her bottom lip. "Please don't hate me..."

_Hate...?_

Didn't she know that she had done nothing wrong ? And even if she did, there was no way he could ever hate her.

Feeling her soft breath caressing his face, Ace closed his eyes and drew a long intake of air to fill his senses with the intoxicating smell of the litchi. Even if within the years he had met other girls with that same scent, none of them bore it as exquisitely as she did, and she had no idea... Maybe that was what made her so irresistible... her ignorance of how captivating, and overwhelming, she was.

Ace brought his lips closer to hers, to make it more... to feel Eli a bit more.

"That's my line... idiot..." Ace said slowly.

Gazing at her face, Ace wallowed in the warm sensation brimming inside of him quietly.

She was so pretty that the young man felt the need to touch her as if he had to feel to make sure it was real. As he lifted his hand to her face, he felt her delicate fingers slip slowly and delightfully down his neck to rest on his collar bone, leaving a faint and soft trail behind them.

They were so close now; those rosy and full lips, the ones he had dreamed of taking so many times, they were within reach, he just had to push a little bit more and they would be his...

But Ace didn't push a bit more, because even if he wanted to feel her lips against his more than anything, he wanted Eli to know how he truly felt; he wanted her to want him, and he knew that if he kissed her right now, no matter how delicious it would feel, he would only be stealing her a kiss out of sympathy... out of pity.

"I could never hate you, Eli..." Ace whispered, gently brushing his fingers against her beauty spot resting under her eye.

At that moment, Ace wanted to tell Eli that he loved her, the warmth inside of him fluttering softly with every breath she expired murmuring to the young man the words to tell her. But seeing her smiling face at last, the young man felt that it was enough, that he didn't need more for now because he already felt loved.

As Eli wrapped her slender arms around his neck and pulled his chest against hers, Ace closed his eyes slowly and returned the warm embrace lovingly, feeling complete knowing that Eli's heart was beating against his.

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_I think this is the most romantic chapter I have ever written._

_When I started writing I wasn't really comfortable. __I felt that I was making Ace too romantic and affected, but then I asked my wonderful beta (^^) for his approval, and as he gave it I kept going and then the words started flowing freely...  
__And when I finished it and read it I was quite amazed at Ace's reaction. Almost as if I wasn't the one who wrote it !  
Odd isn't it ?_

_Anyway I love that chapter, and I hope you loved it too :)_


	8. Secretly

'Freckles' - chapter 38. _With a hearty smile, Eli softly ruffled his shaggy hair that was flattened by the hat._

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**Secretly**

"A bit..."

Ace was taken by surprise. Eli and him were laughing heartily at the flashiness of his hat and then, out of nowhere, she plunged her hand into his unkempt hair, the freshness of her fingers freezing him on the spot.

Amused obviously, and undoubtedly unaware of how she made him feel, Eli ruffled his hair softly, sliding her delicate fingers against his heated scalp in a motion that resembled waves washing over him delightfully. She wasn't looking at him; her green eyes were focused on his mane, and she had the sweetest smile on her face that was so intimately close to his.

Ace was dazed by the purity of the moment. Unbounded, her sweet touch was capturing, overwhelming...

And then, as suddenly as it had come, the touch left, the wonderful sensation disappearing along with it. Eli looked at him happily, and as Ace saw her lips opening, an urge submerged him.

"There, that's bet-"

The young man, driven by an impelling force, grabbed Eli's shoulders and pushed her against the wall, provoking a squeak of surprise from her. Ace thrust his chest against hers and pressed his head on the wall next to hers, exhaling a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"What ?" Eli breathed, rightly puzzled by his sudden reaction.

Her mouth was so close to his ear that he could almost feel her lips brushing his skin.

"I think... I saw someone..." Ace managed to say despite the excitement he was experiencing so close to her.

"Oh..."

That wasn't a complete lie, though; the small alley they were in was giving out onto streets crowded with people, and it was entirely possible that there were enemies among them like he implied. Ace felt Eli turning her head to look at her side of the alley, her hair caressing his cheek. The gullible girl was probably looking for their enemies... and somehow, he silently found that hilarious.

To his eyes, the whole situation was quite comical. How stupid of him to get excited like that, she was only brushing his hair, and how stupid of her to believe his outrageous lie. He was pressed so tightly against her, how could she actually believe that he pinned her against the wall in fear of enemies ? Ace did not fear opponents; it was a concept ultimately unknown to the flame user, and Eli surely knew that... yet she still seemed to believe him.

Eli wasn't stupid, though, far from it, and she had good instincts. She was gullible, that was a fact, but not stupid. Therefore, maybe her slowness only concerned the romantic issues ? Yet she could spot throughout a crowd when a single man was ogling Nami, she handled Sanji's firtyness wittily, and even back in Fuschia, when she was years younger, there was this time when a boy had been hanging around her, and she had quickly understood what his motives were and turned him down even faster.

She wasn't ingenuous... except when _he_ was involved.

"They saw us ?" Eli asked quietly.

"I'm not sure..." Ace said in a floating whisper as he was hypnotized by her neck, her graceful and pale neck.

If he wanted her, Ace would have to say it loud and clear. And he wanted her, for a long time now. He had been patient and kind, but recently, his need of her was starting to become harder to control... It was ever since that night in the small town of Ido. Prior to that tender night, the young man was only able to imagine how it would feel to have Eli, he could only fancy how it would feel to be loved by her. But now, since that night, Ace _knew _how it would feel, and it was better than he had ever dreamed of.

Eli was so gentle, loving... pacifying.

Ace could never have guessed that the girl with whom he had spent a part of his adolescence, and after, months as a crewmate, who was sometimes cheerful and others cranky and constantly mocking would be capable of such a display of pure affection.

And now he wanted more.

The young man had played the role of the friend with unbiased views and secretly lusted after her. Evidently, it paid; the two pirates had been getting closer, that was undeniable. And so Ace had been biding his time, keeping on with this torturous act of his, testing how far he could go without her noticing anything... Touching her felt so thrilling, and loving her secretly even more. But ever since that warm night, Ace was getting restless, and touching her wasn't enough, loving her wasn't enough... He wanted to feel more of her, he wanted her to return his love. Ace wanted Eli to touch him with her delicate hands that always seemed so fresh compared to his heated skin.

Trying to think pure was freaking hard when his body was pressed against Eli's. Sliding his left hand slightly along her small shoulder, Ace pulled the fabric of her cloak to reveal her collar bone... Feeling his lips burning as he yearned for the savor of her skin, the young man sighed agonizingly and rose his mouth from her neck as he felt that he would not be able to restrain himself much longer.

_Oh, god..._ Ace felt himself growing harder against her, and even though he couldn't let her know, the young man was incapable of withdrawing.

"Freckles, you're-"

"Ace, my name is Ace."

The words had escaped his lips uncontrollably, yet he meant them. His erection pressed against her, Ace wanted her, he wanted to make love to her, he wanted Eli to touch him, and hearing her calling him by this stupid nickname made him feel like a little boy.

And the things he wanted her to do to him, Eli wouldn't do them to a little boy.

"I know that..."

"Then call me by my name, Eli," he said in an even lower voice, demanding selfishly from the girl he loved to drop the nickname she had given him the first day they met so that he could enjoy the sound of his name uttered by this delicious voice of hers.

Ace clutched his fingers on her cloak, restraining himself with all his might so that she wouldn't notice... He couldn't let her know how much he secretly lusted for her, how much he wanted to take this cloak off her. Yet he hated that damn piece of fabric that was hiding her body from him.

She was probably wearing one of her everyday shorts right now; her endless legs, her slender thighs, her firm abdomen, her thin waist... and under her usual tank top, her small breasts, almost unnoticeable and yet so exciting to his eyes.

He could picture her whole self hidden under this damned cloak, and maybe it was even more exciting than actually seeing it.

"Ace... you're crushing me..." Eli whined.

"Sorry..." He let her go reluctantly, took a step back and turned around.

Looking absently at the street, Ace thought that the ache strained against his shorts was starting to get quite recurrent along with his chronic lust fits.

_Down, boy_, Ace ordered himself dryly.

"Are you okay ?" Eli asked, apparently worried by his silence.

"Yes."

With a sigh, Ace crouched to pick up his hat. He dusted it off and slipped his head through its strap letting it hang on his back. Despite how delicious the torture he was putting upon himself was, he would have to tell Eli how he felt. The provocative game he was playing with her had gone far too long and was starting to get out of control... and so, Ace promised himself to tell her the very second the situation they were in was resolved.

First saving the world, and only then getting the girl. That was how it worked, right ?

"Okay, let's go now !" Eli said, walking toward the street.

"We should take separate ways," Ace said, making the girl spin on her heels to look at him questioningly.

Her big green eyes staring at him, Ace looked away as the words had been slightly hard for him to vocalize. However, the pirate had to keep his head out of the gutter for the sake of their mission, and Eli was a distraction that he could not afford, not now, not today.

"Oh... alright !" She nodded cheerfully. "Let's meet at the casino then."

Ace rolled his eyes involuntary at Eli's cheerful naïvety and walked his way through the crowd. Tucking his hands behind his neck, he wondered how much of her teasing he would be able to endure before going completely mad and jumping her on the spot.

_And that would be bad_, he scolded himself, a smirk making its way to his lips.

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**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**  
_(yay, he's back)_

_I quoted a song in this chapter, I wonder if you'll find which one.  
I hope you're satisfied with this side of the pining against the wall since some of you actually asked for it._

_See you very soon on 'Freckles'._


	9. The Bomb

_'Freckles' - chapter 41. Eli saw his lips move but couldn't hear his voice as her aching ears were filled with a loud ringing sound.

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_

**The Bomb**

"I love you."

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU," Eli yelled and gave Ace a gentle smile.

He blinked. "What...?" he said slowly and quietly, looking at her in disbelief as he wondered if she was teasing him.

"THE EXPLOSION, IT WAS SO LOUD, I'M DEAF."

Eli's reply was so loud that it resonated through his head, his brain incapable of processing the impossible information. Water dripping on his bemused face, Ace slowly replayed the words in his head to understand the full extent of the situation; he had finally mouthed his feelings for her, dashingly that was for sure but the words were true, undeniably. And then, Eli had given him probably one of the only replies he hadn't expected; she was deaf.

Ace found himself bursting out in laughter. What a cruel twist of fate. If there was someone out there deciding for those things he was surely laughing his ass off watching the scene.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY," Eli yelled.

Apparently because of her lack of hearing she wasn't aware of how loud she was, making the whole thing even more comical. Eli was frowning at him, but somehow Ace felt that if she knew she would be laughing with him.

Ace's hilarious fit died as he watched the rain drops trailing down Eli's pouting face. He found her even prettier than usual. Lifting his hand to caress her wet cheek, a warm smile made its way on his lips.

"It is Eli, it's extremely funny," he said softly, his eyes diving into hers Ace felt more in love with her than ever. "And you have no idea..."

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU," Eli shouted, her shoulders tensed she kicked the ground irritatedly. "ARE YOU DEAF, TOO ?"

His need of her spreading throughout him, Ace pulled Eli against him and wrapped his arms around her securely. He was so glad she was alive, that was the only thing that mattered for now. Maybe he shouldn't have rushed things, maybe her loss of hearing was the sign that Eli wasn't ready yet. And so the young man accepted it. He would wait.

Feeling Eli returning his embrace Ace closed his eyes while he soaked into the tender closeness.

"I love you..."

* * *

_I wasn't sure if I wanted to publish this one.  
In any case I was sure of one thing : the words to start it with._

_Of course Ace had other thoughts before, and even other words.  
Right after finding Eli he is just glad to see that she's alive, but then...  
And so I wanted to start the chapter with that :)_

_I received an other gift. YAY ! From xXMewMikageXx. Thank you thank you !  
Go see it in my profile ! :D_


	10. First Date

_'Freckles' - chapter 45._

_Extremely excited at the odd situation, Ace and Eli hid in a nearby alley to spy on the strange couple. And that is how they spent the rest of their day; following them around, laughing at the multiple and unsuccessful flirty attempts of the waitress on Luffy._

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**First Date **

For sure, Ace wasn't prepared to see a girl hanging round his little brother, and he therefore just had to observe the odd phenomenon with his own eyes. He and Eli were hiding in a small alley near the brochette stand eagerly watching the waitress's courtship display. The very amused pair had a hard time choking back their laughs seeing the cute girl bringing bottomless-stomach-Luffy as many plates of brochettes as her arms could hold. She was dedicated to her impossible quest, Ace could not deny it.

The young man was so absorbed that he did not notice right away how nicely close he was to his love interest; standing behind the corner of the alley, his chest was brushing against Eli's back. And suddenly, Luffy and his groupie didn't seem so interesting anymore, his attention shifting from his young sibling to her.

"Look !" Eli said with an excited high-pitch tone of voice. "She just touched him and he didn't even notice... He's so dense !"

"Really...?" Ace said absently, liking how her body wriggled against his as she laughed stupidly.

A little smirk on his face, he rested snugly his hand on her hip, and as she did not seem to care, he pushed himself a little closer against her. But Eli kept giggling, her eyes focused on Luffy and the lovestruck waitress. Apparently, the pirate girl was easily getting used to the intimacy. Since they had left Alabasta, the two friends had been getting tremendously more intimate and Eli did not seem to dislike his presence. They had been napped together a few times, sharing a comfy embrace, and she had never uttered a complaint. However, even despite those loving moments, Eli appeared to be still quite oblivious of the flame user's feelings for her and still considered him as a friend.

And once again, Ace wondered, just how dense could she be ?

"The brochettes smell so good," Eli whined. "Aren't you hungry ?"

Smugly, Ace acquiesced inwardly, yes he was, hungry for her. His lips lingering just a breath away from her shoulder, he would gladly taste her.

"Freckles ?" Eli turned her head to the side.

"Mmmh ?"

"I'm hungry, what about you ?"

"Sure," he replied and just couldn't help smirking while looking at her naive face, so close to his.

Eli looked around rapidly, and Ace let his other hand slide along her side to rest on her small shoulder. Touching her was so thrilling. Yet she wasn't doing a thing, and so he wondered how he would feel if she actually returned his amorous gestures...

"Crepes !" Eli said happily, and left on the spot, dashing over to a flashy stand. Ace's hair fluttered rapidly with the swift gust of her rushed takeoff.

Snickering, he leaned against the wall and let himself glide along the wood to sit on the ground. Ace had never really imagined Eli acting ardently inclined toward him. In his fantasies, he was the only one doing things to her, and Eli was reduced to a speechless, whining thing, burning under his avid assaults. Yet somehow, the young man had a hunch that reality would be quite different, and he wondered if her wild nature also included sexual intercourses or if she was the tender and reserved kind.

_I guess I'll just have to find that out_, he thought, his lewd train of thoughts making him sneer.

After a few minutes, Eli came back happily, holding two large crepes.

"Here," Eli said, offering him his. "Chocolate and cream, right ?"

"Thanks," Ace said, smiling. He took the crepe and was about to take a bite when he noticed Eli eying it hungrily. "What ?"

"You got more cream than me..." she pouted childishly, giving him a puppy face.

Instantly, a mischievous idea popped in his perverted mind. _What if... Naaah..._ Eli was naïve, and Ace liked to play with her, but _that_ was a bit too much, even for him. The girl's green eyes seemed to grow wider as he pondered whether or not he would dare to put his experiment into practice, and soon, curiosity as well as excitement took over. Ace plunged his finger in the whipped cream and held it out for her.

_Oh, god..._

And she did it, she _really_ did it. Hungrily, Eli leaned forward on the spot and closed her mouth on his frosted flesh without an ounce of doubt or hesitation. Ace stared in awe as she sucked his finger; he felt her lips and her tongue gliding along its length, leaving a wet trail on her lascivious path, the whole scene running in slow motion to his wide opened eyes. Swallowing audibly, the highly exciting snapshot made the young man's mind rush wildly picturing her doing the same to another part of him.

"Thanks !" Eli said, to which Ace could only nod stupidly as he was utterly dazed by her boldness.

Completely ignorant, Eli shifted her eyes to Luffy and the waitress while Ace slowly got over the shock. The young man could only blame himself though. But what blame ? Once the surprise faded Ace smiled slyly and joined her to enjoy the spectacle once more.

After a while, Luffy's body's volume had easily doubled, making him look very much like a huge balloon, but the waitress did not seem to lose interest. She took him by the hand and dragged him up the paved street. The odd couple was soon followed by another one, hiding stealthily behind every street corner, lamp, and tree. Ace and Eli attracted the attention of every passers-by staring perplexingly at the very amused pair.

The waitress took the pirates to a flowery garden. Apparently, it was a high place for lovers since couples were sitting on the grass, all over the place, whispering sweet nothings. And now Ace and Eli were laughing while watching both the lovebirds as well as the waitress as she was acting all cutesy making Luffy smell all kinds of flowers.

Eli got her logbook out to draw them as they walked under a flowery archway. The waitress's hand kept dangling near Luffy's. However, her attempts to make him hold it ended in a total failure as the balloon-shaped teenager ran to a huge tree, bellylaughing as he reached the top to admire the view.

With a delighted sigh, Eli smiled at Ace as they walked under the archway. The bewitching scent of jasmine filling the young man's mind, he found himself gazing at her gleeful face. Loving to have her by his side, enjoying her company like no one else's.

Soon, the walk through the lovely garden took them to an open place where a crowd of couples danced to the sound of romantic music.

"She's gonna make him dance !" Eli said quite loudly, pointing at the waitress who was dragging Luffy onto the dance floor.

"Looks like you're right." Ace snickered. "Does he even know how to-" Interrupted by the waitress uttering a loud pained shriek, the young man burst into laughter.

"Apparently not !"

The two stalkers hid behind a tree in fear of being spotted as they couldn't control their convulsing laughter. And the fit kept on, its volume increasing just as much as the screams of the poor waitress. Ace had never imagined his little brother dancing, and his utter lack of skill was almost praise worthy. It actually sounded like he was trying to befoot the poor girl.

"Poor thing," Eli said mockingly, wiping the tears of laughter in the corners of her eyes.

His eyes shifting from the dance floor to her, a smile made its way to Ace's face.

"Wanna try ?" he asked, reaching out his hand to Eli who looked at it as if it was a mysterious and possibly dangerous object.

"I'm not sure..." she said quietly, now staring at his heavy boots. "Have you ever danced before ?"

The young man snorted. Of course he had danced before. There was a whole life she wasn't aware of, a whole _him_ she didn't know. Without adding anything more, Ace grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor, making his way through the thick crowd, as far away as possible from Luffy and the whimpering waitress. Once he found a spot, Ace placed himself in front of her and rested his hands on the small of her back.

"Wait." Eli buttoned up his shirt and straightened his collar. Once she was done giving him a decent appearance, she looked at him with a very serious face. "Remember; blow for blow."

Smiling smugly, Ace pulled her closer and tightened his hold while Eli wrapped her thin arms around his neck. As they started dancing, she kept staring at their feet apparently fearing for her safety.

"Don't worry," he softly said in her ear.

With a sigh, Eli got closer, pressing her chest against his and nestling her chin on his broad shoulder. Ace couldn't help but smile as she got comfortable, for he felt like he was gradually taming a wild animal... earning her trust slowly through gentle gestures. He had to be careful as any brisk movement could scare her away.

That wasn't in his nature, though; prior to Eli, if Ace wanted a girl, he would just get her. Whether it worked or not didn't even matter; he had nothing to lose. But this time, things were different, because this time, he was in love. The whole state was so new to him that he didn't really know how to act with her. The risk of losing her was too great, so therefore, he had rather made his way stealthily, slowly becoming essential. The furtive chase was exciting... and hopefully rewarding.

"Hey !" Eli pulled away all of a sudden, and rapidly looked around, despair showing on her cute face. "They're gone !"

She disappeared in a flash, leaving his partner behind, and came back faster than she left along with a swift gust. Chuckling like a child, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the dancing crowd and up a small pathway through a bunch of trees. After a minute, the two sneaky pirates found their targets; they were standing on a cliff, the sun setting in the horizon. It seemed like it was a hangout for young couples, as people were making out quite outrageously barely hidden from view.

The waitress had apparently taken Luffy on the romantic tour of Kusai. And there she was, standing in front of the teenager, her eyes closed, waiting to be kissed. Ace wasn't quite sure if he wanted to witness _that_; on the other hand, Eli was extremely eager to observe everything. Dashing from a tree to another she got closer, the lovely waitress quickly losing her composure before Luffy's utter lack of interest.

Ace slapped his forehead seeing his little brother thanking the girl politely, before dashing away, drawn to the smell of roasted meat.

_Poor girl..._ he thought, looking sadly at the waitress. How unlucky she was to have a crush on Luffy. The rubbery teenager was even more dense than Eli, if that was possible. And she was standing there, gaping stupidly at the empty spot previously occupied by the object of her affection.

Hearing muffled sound of laughs, Ace walked over to Eli. She was standing against a tree holding her mouth in a fruitless attempt to keep her laughter inside. Her laughs were contagious, and the young man soon found himself chuckling at the comical situation as well.

After a minute, she finally calmed down and started walking away from the love cliff, but Ace took her hand, intent on not allowing this nice evening to end so soon.

"Let's stay here for a bit," he said, a hearty smile on his face as the young man hoped she would agree. "Okay ?"

Eli looked at the sun setting in the horizon, and nodded. "Okay."

She sat down, and Ace took his place behind her, wrapping his arms around her. Smiling, he rested his chin on her small shoulder, and at that moment, the young man felt that it was enough, he didn't need more. He would gladly spend days like this, having her by his side, talking with her, laughing with her. Contentedly, he felt a sweet sensation warming up inside of him while he held his dear Eli in his arms.

"He's grown up," she said quietly, watching the horizon, and as Ace made a puzzled sound she turned her head slightly to the side to look at him in the corner of her eye. "Luffy," she specified. "He's not a little boy anymore."

"Just because a girl had a crush on him doesn't mean that he's a man," Ace said, amused.

"No." Eli shook her head slowly. "In Alasbasta... he was the one protecting us." She shifted her head to look in the distance again. "He doesn't trail behind you anymore..."

The young man looked pensively at the sun disappearing slowly in the ocean while thinking about Eli's words. It wasn't like he had not thought about it before. Luffy got out on his own, he got his crew by himself, and it was a great crew, and now he was trusting them but also protecting them with his heart and guts.

"It's a good thing I still have to protect you," Ace said smugly, tightening his embrace tenderly.

"Me !" Eli huffed. "I don't need your protection, Portgas !"

Ace snickered, and soon Eli laughed, too. The orange sky reflecting in their eyes, the two pirates were smiling light-heartedly enjoying one another's presence. Did she know then ? Did she felt his love for her, his need for her to be by his side ?

"Eli," Ace called out softly to her ear.

"Mmh ?"

"We should do this more often."

"Do what ?" Eli turned her head slightly to the side, and he looked lovingly into her green eyes.

"Hanging out..." Ace ventured slowly. "Just the two of us."

"Sure," she nodded a smile on her pretty face.

The couple notion was implied, and Ace knew that she had not gotten it, yet he didn't care. At that moment, her acceptance of his presence by her side was all that mattered. Maybe he was just being a coward, too afraid of losing what he already had if he asked for more... but until he was sure that she felt the same, Ace would make do with the tender affection Eli gave him boundlessly. And slowly but surely, he would keep on making his way deep inside of her.

* * *

**Betaed by Iwin Ulose.**

_So now you know what happened during Ace and Eli's but also Luffy and the waitress' first date and, like always, I hope you liked it._

_It looks like our lovely couple is getting in the right direction. I like the feeling of comfort and but also amusement they give out when they hang together._  
_But can two old friends like them really switch to a more loving relation ? Ace would surely want more, but what about Eli ?_

_Don't forget to tell me what you thought of it all ;)  
And look forward for the next Freckles chapter which should be uploaded on Wednesday._


	11. So Close

_'Freckles' - chapter 48._

_The strong and roasty smell of the coffee titillating her nostrils, Eli slowly awaken. The tea-girl had never managed to bring herself to like the taste of this bitter drink, but its subtle, yet fierce scent was one of the best thing one could wake up to in her opinion... Almost as nice as Ace's smiling face._

* * *

**So Close**

Staring at the ceiling, Ace was picturing himself setting the Merry's male quarters ablaze. Maybe once he had reduced his crewmates to ashes the flame user would be allowed to enjoy a good night's sleep.

Because of his multiple narcoleptic fits during the day, the young man had often found himself waking in the middle of the night; and whenever that happened, the loud snoring of his companions kept him wide awake. At that point, Ace had already thrown all of the objects within his range at them, but the heavy sleepers barely noticed his attacks, and their consistent snores were starting to get unbearable.

Annoyed, he jumped off his hammock and climbed up the mast, slamming the hatch behind him. Once outside, the young man sighed deeply; the night sea-breeze felt so good compared to the cramped atmosphere of the male quarters. Ace walked to the side of the ship and leaned against its railing, enjoying the salty freshness on his heated skin. Maybe he could just sleep here. Surely the wooden floor wasn't as restful as his hammock, but the weather was nice. The sound of the waves gently rocking the little ship was soothing, and the starry sky was such a delightful sight that he would easily get comfortable.

However, as he was about to climb to the crow's-nest, his attention was drawn to the light piercing through the windows of the lounge room. Curious to see who was up at such a late hour, Ace walked up the stairs. The eventuality of Eli being in the room occurred to him, yet upon opening the door, the young man was slightly disappointed to see a raven haired woman preparing coffee in the kitchen.

"Hey Rob-" Ace cut himself as he saw the woman hushing him by putting a finger on her lips. As she pointed toward the table with her free hand, the corners of his mouth curled up seeing Eli sleeping peacefully, her head and arms resting on the table.

Ace sat himself next to the sleeping girl, and soon Robin served him a cup of coffee, a little smile on her face. Ever since she joined the crew, the flame user had been slightly suspicious about her. The other pirates had accepted her former enemy so quickly that he and Zoro had decided that they had to stay on their guards, for the sake of their carefree crewmates.

The archaeologist was mysterious, that was an undeniable fact. But as the time passed, Ace did not notice anything worthy of their suspicions. Moreover, she was a good asset to the crew; her knowledge of the past would probably find its use during their adventures, and her maturity surely wouldn't go amiss among the young pirates.

Eli stirred slightly, causing Ace's attention to shift toward her. It had been almost four days since he had the chance to just see her lovely face. Despite the size of the Merry, the girl had been quite skillfully using her devilish speed to run away from him. At first, the young man had been trying to play cat-and-mouse with her, but a mouse that possessed the ability to run at light speed was impossible to catch. Knowing this, the cat had decided to bide his time, hoping that patience would work in his favor. Ace was sure that she would come back to him sooner or later, whether she wanted it or not.

And there she was, slowly waking next to the very person she had been frantically fleeing.

As her green eyes opened drowsily, Ace gazed at her, a warm smile on his face. To his delight, Eli looked at him and returned the smile. Obviously unaware of the situation she was in, she had gave him a hearty smile, naturally. Try as she might to deny it, all those things she did unconsciously were perfect proofs of her loving feelings toward him.

However, after a few seconds, her eyes snapped open and her gleeful face morphed into pure alarm.

_And there she goes... _Ace was amused to see the girl briskly straightening up, apparently very uncomfortable of his presence next to her.

"What ?" Eli said loudly, with a creaked voice while persistently staring at Robin as if to ignore his presence. She vigorously rubbed her face, and shifted on the bench away from him.

"You just looked so cute that we couldn't bring ourselves to wake you up," Robin said, and chuckled looking at Eli with amusement.

The reply did not seem to ease the girl's discomfort, and as she motioned to stand up and walk away, Ace grabbed her wrist; now that she had fallen into his clutches, there was no way that he would let her go that easily. Like a shot, Eli looked at Robin desperately, but the archaeologist stood up with a warm smile on her face and politely excused herself. This caused the young man to instantly reconsider his suspicions about the raven haired woman; she was obviously very trustworthy. Once she had closed the door behind her, Ace slowly stood up.

"So... How have you been ?" he asked, and couldn't help but smirk as he felt that he was going to have fun, at last.

"Not bad, not bad," Eli turned around, a stiff smile on her face. "How about you ?"

"Fine," Ace said as he took a step toward her. Eli briskly took a step back, her smile losing its composure. "I've missed you, you know ?" he said smugly, extremely amused at the situation.

"Well.. heh I've been fine, you've been fine, everything's fine... Great..." The nervous girl sputtered the words rapidly and confusedly. "Gotta go now !" Eli vigorously tried to take back her hand, but Ace tightened his grip on her frail wrist.

With few options available to her, she merely pretender as if nothing were happening, and her act was one of the worst Ace had ever witnessed. The distress in her voice was so highly exciting to his ears, and the more she wanted to run, the more he was enjoying himself. Lewdly, he looked at her from toes to head; her slender legs up to the hips barely hidden under a t-shirt so large that it revealed a bit of shoulder. Ace was glad to see that she was so scantily clad.

"You're really pretty," he said seductively, taking one more step toward her. All the while, the young man was completely aware of the presence of the wall behind her.

"Thank-"

Apparently she hadn't noticed the obstacle, and now that she was trapped. Eli rapidly looked around, probably in search for an escape. Ace felt so powerful then. No, he won't let her go this time. This time, he will make sure that what she had started a few days ago in the hotel room of Kusai would have a better conclusion... a blissful conclusion. He brought his hand to her exposed shoulder, holding her firmly against the wall. If only Nami hadn't been worried about her absence then, and if only she hadn't knocked at his door... Ace involuntary licked his lips remembering the exquisite moment they had shared then.

"You know I tried to talk to you," he said quietly, letting the hand that was holding her wrist slide up her arm, teasingly brushing her skin before resting it on her hip, which was arched quite invitingly.

"But you're really stubborn, Eli." With every one of his words, Ace felt a force raising inside of him, his body temperature raising with it.

"I've been patient..." The flame user was staring at her. His half lidded eyes burning with desire; the will to dominate her took the control over him. He wanted her, he wanted her _now_.

"But patience doesn't work with you," he managed to say, despite the urge to let himself loose.

Eli's eyes were filled with fear, but Ace knew that deep inside she wanted him too. He was very serious with his plan to shatter her restraints; by all means possible, to reveal once more the girl that had been so ardently inclined a few days ago. Eli was so exciting back then; straddling his hips, the friction she exerted on his hardened member was maddening. Even though she seemed to have no sexual experience, her instincts were amazing. Ace could still feel exquisite sensation as his hands had been eagerly fondling her small breasts while Eli rubbed her hips against his. Harder, faster, she had set his body aflame. Her hazy eyes were looking at him with raw desire. Her full lips opened, the rapturous moans she uttered resonated through his mind.

She was intoxicating, she was thrilling, and he wanted her back.

The sound of her hard pants arousing his desire, Ace did not reconsider even one split second as he lay his lips on her shoulder, eliciting a very delicious sound from her. Yet, she tasted so good that kissing wasn't enough. He licked, bit and sucked her luscious skin that reddened under the fierce ravishment of his mouth. Ace couldn't retrain himself, he had to taste every bit of her, bare her, lick every last portion of her skin until she'd surrender. His body temperature raised tremendously as the force within him was impelling the young man to subdue her completely.

Eli was unresponsive and that wouldn't do, the young man wanted the wild, the lubricious, and scorching Eli. Behind his closed eyelids the heated moment in Kusai played over and over again. It had started from the very moment she invited to stay with him. At that moment, Ace had forced himself to ask her for a confirmation, not wasting any time once she reiterated her delightful invitation. She was giggling, and wriggling against his body. Teasing him, her fingertips titillated his needful skin and already, he had felt himself growing harder. A soft kiss on his cheek and he was sent to another place, and the ones she placed on his neck were the end of him.

Not having her was a nightmare...

Compulsively, Ace slid his hands under her t-shirt, grabbed her hips and jerked them into a more promising position while he firmly pressed his heavy chest against her frail body. His erection throbbing strenuously between her legs, how much he wanted her surely wouldn't go unnoticed. Dominated, she shuddered within his forceful embrace, whines and shivers driving the young man crazy.

His tongue traced a wet path up her neck, feeling her rapid pulse under his famished mouth. At long last, as an agonizing sigh escaped her mouth, Eli leaned her head on the wall, the tension on her body vanishing. Slowly raising his head from her neck, he gazed at her face as she closed her eyes, her voluptuous lips parted so tantalizingly... Vanquished, she remained immobile for a moment, and loosening his grip, Ace let his fingertips caress her smooth skin.

He felt her delicate hands resting on his chest clumsily, her fingers trembling on his heated skin, sending shivers all over his body. Slowly, Eli slid her hands under his shirt and the young man closed his eyes to enjoy fully the subtle stroke. Under her delicious touch, Ace felt his fury gradually dissipating, his arms loosely falling to his sides.

Exhaling his frenzy deeply, he nuzzled his cheek against hers feeling a gentle and overwhelming sensation raising inside of him; his love of her, his need of her. His hands moved up her body, slowly and lovingly as Eli seemed so fragile at that moment, so precious to him. Ace cupped her rosy cheeks and looked intensely at her pretty face. Her eyes were closed, leading him to wonder. _Did she understand what was happening ?_

"I'm going to kiss you, Eli," Ace quietly said, pressing his forehead on hers.

The young man had warned her as he felt that he had to let Eli know her. He didn't want to take her by surprise, he didn't want to steal that kiss, no matter how much he longed for it. She had kept her lips from him for so long that somehow he cherished that virginity.

Gazing at her lovely face, Ace treasured that moment when they shared the same air...

Feeling his eyelids weighing heavier by the second, drowsiness fell upon him. Ace tried to tighten his grip on her, but his forces left him so fast... _No..._ Darkness engulfing him, he felt himself uncontrollably falling backwards, hitting the floor with a loud thud. His last thought going to the mischievous one who was playing with his fate and cursing him for his wretched sense of humor.

* * *

**Betaed by Fox MC.**

_Yup, I got a new beta. So let's all welcome him warmly.  
I hope we'll make a good team, and that together we'll give you good and entertaining chapters._

_Now, if you wonder about my previous beta. Well, sadly, __**Iwin Ulose**__ didn't have that much free time anymore.  
Still, he is a wonderful writer, and he writes about One Piece too. So, go check his fanfics :)_

_Now about the chapter !_

_Ace hates meh~  
But Flame Boy has to remember that I created Eli just for him.  
To tease him obviously... :P_

_Oh, and just one more thing; I don't know if you noticed but Ace used Haki on Eli.  
Unconsciously of course, he doesn't even know what Haki is yet._

_See you soon on 'Freckles'._


	12. Unfair Game

_'Freckles' - chapter 50._

_Feeling her previous nervousness quietly dissipating, Eli shifted her gaze from their hands to Ace's face in order to see his reaction. As she looked at him, the girl was surprised to see that he was looking upwards._

_

* * *

_

**Unfair Game**

Sitting in the crow's-nest, Ace was absently looking at his hat, and the little smileys looking back at him, smiling and frowning at him. The young man was deeply lost in his thoughts, and between the two, he had chosen the latter.

During the past few weeks, playing with his little Eli was definitely Ace's favorite game. It was the best ever. The most delicious too. Touching her, caressing her, feeling her whole body shuddering against his... A deep sigh escaped Ace's mouth as he put his hat on the floor.

_Idiot._

Yes, playing Eli was fun, but feeling the girl he loved releasing his hand on purpose, seeing her falling in the sea, watching her drowning while being completely powerless... All those were the worst things a man could expect from the girl he loved.

Ace was sure of it now, Eli was stupid, she was the most stupid girl that had ever crossed his way. She should have known better, she _had_ to know that there was nothing to fear whenever he was with her. He would put his life on the line for her, he would protect her at any cost. The young man would never hurt her because she was too damn precious to him. Yet, she had let go of his hand.

_Idiot !_

Unleashing his anger against her had felt so good; she did not deserve his forgiveness. What she needed was a real lesson and he should have stayed to make her understand, but watching the pitiful girl, Ace had found himself unable to look at her any longer. Eli looked like a pitiful little kitten. Her wet, tousled hair, her wide green eyes looking at him with incomprehension... She was a brat, a stupid brat, he should have stayed and poured out all of his anger against her. But Eli was stubborn and definitely helpless, a waste of time. The young pirate had already spent too much of his precious time and energy for her, and now he was done with her, over her. He had dreams, he had ambitions, and at that moment, Ace decided that he would not waste one more thought on that stupid girl.

Looking at the sky, the flame user focused his attention on his future adventure. _Sky islands..._ That was grand, and they surely were worthy of how great he was. A dreamlike land awaited just for him to tread its ground. Just what he needed, and as his thoughts wandered along with the clouds, Ace managed to put his fury aside, letting the warm and salty breeze ease his mind.

However, seeing Eli jumping into the crow's-nest, Ace felt anger coming back inside of him like a whirlwind. Couldn't she just leave him in peace ?

The girl looked dumb. Standing there, towering over him with all of her freakish height. Her arms were hanging, swaying as if she didn't know what to do with them. Unable to endure watching her, Ace looked away with a sigh of annoyance.

No, Ace would not waste one more bit of energy for her. She clearly did not deserve it. Even though she was obviously here to make amends, inwardly, Ace promised himself that he would not let himself be fooled by anything she might say, because no words could lessen her fault.

For a long time she remained there, immobile and silent, and Ace could feel her nervousness. He could hear her every breath, he could see the nervous motions of her hands, and in spite of, the young man had nothing to say to her. By yelling at her he had made his point, she was stupid and she clearly did not deserve any more words from him. She felt bad, and so what ? After all, she called for it.

"I'm sorry !" Eli said loudly.

That was it ? All this time of preparation, the deep breaths, the trembling legs, for _that_ ? Ace brusquely shifted his stare back at her. Despising what he saw, the young man couldn't help the scornful expression on his face.

"And what for, Eli ? For preferring dying than holding my hand ?" he said wryly.

Eli bit her bottom lip nervously, and once more Ace looked away, unable to watch the foolish girl any longer. If she had nothing more to say, she could just leave him alone, leave him in peace because if she couldn't find the words, he could. They were flowing through his angry mind, and they were far from forgiving. Yet, the young man preferred to keep them inside.

Maybe she knew that words were useless and so, silently, Eli sat down next to him and slid her hand in his. At this unexpected touch, Ace felt a shiver running all over his heated skin, blood rushing out of his hand.

"See ?" she said almost nonchalantly.

It was unfair. Ace had been very serious with his resolution of ignoring her, focusing on something else than her. But then, as if nothing happened before, as if she hadn't let go of his hand a few hours ago, thus preferring to fall in the deadly ocean than being saved by him, Eli took his hand.

Pure, unbounded, her sudden touch froze the flame user on the spot.

The young man focused all of his attention on his hand, trying the best he could to put all of his muscles into sleep, trying to ignore the gentle embrace. Her embrace...

It was so very unfair.

Ace looked at her from the corner of his eye and saw Eli curiously gazing at their hands, she seemed lost in her thoughts. But what thoughts ? What the hell was going on in this tricky mind of hers ? Feverish, he unglued his eyes from her and slowly rolled his head upward.

His eyes stubbornly focused on the clouds' sluggish course, Ace felt her hand loosening in his, he could feel the slightest brush of her fingers against his skin and every last of those fragile stokes electrified his whole body. From the corner of his eye, Ace saw Eli turning her head to look at him, a frown appearing on her face. But what was she frowning for ? How dare she ? Moreover, wasn't she scared of him anymore ? He couldn't possibly have been mistaken. She had been fleeing him for a long time, and when she had faced him at last, he had seen the anger and then the fear in her eyes. The painful fear glimmering in her lovely eyes... It had felt like pins and needles piercing his skin. It had crushed his heart from the inside.

"How does it feel ?" Ace asked softly. "Not scary ?"

Silently, Eli shifted closer to him. Without asking for the permission, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"It feels good," she said in a soft whisper.

Ace clenched his free hand anxiously. Why did she have to do that ? The perfection of the little things she did was amazing. To show his affection, the young man had thought of nothing else than expressing his desire. Forcibly, he had pined her against a wall. Enjoying her distress, taking pleasure in her whines and shivers. At that moment, the young man felt so obscene next to her.

Eli was naïve, pure, and so very stupid. Ace hated her... and he loved her all the more.

The young man hated how she refused to acknowledge his feelings toward her. He had told her, he had _showed_ her, and it was so painful to feel her making herself comfortable against him as if nothing had happened. Why did she seem to have all the rights ? It seemed that she could touch him whenever she wanted and then take everything back without his consent. He hated how weak the stupid girl made him feel and loved the way she did it, so intimate, so true... unfair.

Unfair, yet so exquisite.

"You're really an idiot," Ace said quietly.

Carefully resting his head against her, the young man closed his eyes, soaking in her affection, her excruciating affection.

During the past few weeks, playing with his little Eli was definitely Ace's favorite game, and all the while, he had thought that he was the one playing with her. But now he knew... She had all the cards in her hands. Manifestly, Eli wasn't aware of that, and surely she didn't mean any wrong. But the game she was playing unconsciously was too painful for him, and at that moment, Ace decided that he had to change the rules, in his favor, obviously.

* * *

**Betaed bu Fox MC.**

Angry Ace... Me likey :3

See you soon on 'Freckles' !


	13. Maiden

_'Freckles' - chapter 51._

_Sanji took her chin and turned her head to face his. Worried, he looked deeply into her eyes, her green eyes filled with the frustration of not being able to understand why it hurt so much. As she looked at her friend, even if she couldn't say the words, Eli longed for his guidance._

_"Don't worry, Elisabeth," he said. Letting go of her chin, he rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of it."_

_

* * *

_

**Maiden**

The intense staring contest Ace was having with the one-eyed cook made the flame user wander behind the lock of blond hair hiding half of his face. Was it just a stylish haircut or a way to hide something horrid ? A scar ? A devil eye ? Or maybe no eye at all...

Narrowing his eyes, the black haired pirate tried to distinguish something, anything, to answer his troubling interrogation while Sanji huffed the smoke of his cigarette through his nostrils, making him look like an angry bull.

"I think... something is burning," Ace quietly said, completely absorbed by his study of the blonde's face.

"Listen, shitty cowboy." Without taking his eye off Ace's, Sanji turned over the takoyakis at an amazing speed. "You better leave her alone."

"Her...?" Ace's eyebrows went up on his forehead while he wondered who the cook might be referring to, and soon a smile made its way to his lips. "Are you talking about Eli ?"

Of course he was. Sanji's face darkened, and amused, Ace snickered.

Almost as soon as he met with Sanji, the young man enjoyed messing with the cook's chivalrousness. He was such a fake. Trying to pass for a knight in shinning armor with all the girls that went by even though he was obviously the worst pervert the flame user had ever met.

"No man should play with a maiden's heart," Sanji said.

"Maiden ?"

At the word, Ace burst into laughter. Did he really say 'maiden' ? Sanji obviously had no idea who he was talking about.

Eli ? A maiden ?

Hitting the kitchen's table with his fist while laughing so hard that tears appeared in the corner of his eyes, the flame user's mind filled with the not-so-maidenly moments he had spent with his precious friend. The night before his departure from Fuschia, when he and Eli had sex. The way she had accepted his advances while refusing the simple tender gesture of a kiss. And then, the night in the hotel of Kusai. The way she had touched him, rubbed her body against his. Her lustful eyes, her lascivious moans...

Eli was a lot of things, but certainly not a maiden.

Sanji was burning up, literally, and as he glared at the black-haired pirate laughing his ass off right before him, it looked like _he_ was the one who had eaten the flame's devil fruit. Infuriated, the angry blond dashed over to Ace's side and shot his leg in his face, killing the young man's laughing fit on the spot.

A dark frown on his face, Ace stood up. The blond might be his crewmate, but now he was going too far, and if he was spoiling for a fight the flame user would gladly fulfill his request.

"You made her sad, shithead," Sanji said scornfully.

_Sad...?_

Ace's anger slowly dissipated as the image of Eli formed in his mind. Was she sad ? Really ? He didn't mean to make her sad. The young man had only decided to give her some space to make her realize what she wanted. To make her realize that she needed him. It was never in his intention to pain her.

Yet, as he looked at the cook blasting glares at him, somewhat, Ace felt that the girl did not deserve his sympathy.

Why was he the bad guy in the story ?

He was the one who was pained. He was the one suffering the most. Eli was ignoring his feelings toward her, and that was even worse than avoiding him.

"Hey, come back !" Sanji yelled as Ace walked to the door. "I'm talking to you !"

Ace looked at the cook over his shoulder, annoyed, he let a deep sigh escape his mouth.

"Don't worry, Sanji. I'll leave her alone."

Without an other word, the flame user walked out of the room. He sat down on the deck, and as he pulled the brim of his hat before his face, a silent request formed through his empty mind.

_Wake up, Eli... I won't wait forever._

* * *

**Betaed by Fox MC.**

_I know it was short. It's like a little bonus chapter.  
I hope you enjoyed it despite its shortness._

_See you on Wednesday for the next 'Freckles' :)_


	14. Bittersweet

'_Freckles' - chapter 54._

_At first, when she saw Ace choosing Usopp as his partner, Eli burst out in laughter. But the young man wasn't joking, and as she watched him walking toward the forest with the gutless marksman, she heard herself cursing and yelling like a spoiled brat, claiming scornfully that she needn't a pair, that she could catch that stupid bird in a second._

_Without adding anything more, Eli dashed into the forest alone, under the dazed faces of her crewmates._

_

* * *

_

**Bittersweet**

Wind blew on the pirates' chocked faces as Eli took off like a flash, and in a split second she disappeared in the forest.

Out of the blue, she had made such a scene that Ace didn't know what to think of it. Was that was he was expecting by choosing Usopp as his partner ? Watching absently the spot where she had vanished, the flame user heard his crewmates calling out for the girl and wondered why he couldn't join them.

But soon he understood... A wrench of annoyance in his gut; he was sick of her, and she had made it clear that she shared his sentiment. The girl had yelled that she would be better off alone, that she didn't need anyone, and Ace felt that her words were directed to him. She didn't need him, and neither did he.

Then why did it feel bitter ?

Ace was annoyed, truthfully annoyed, and the most annoying part was that underneath, his affection for her scraped his insides. The young man knew that he should have left Eli alone. Yet, to his displeasure, he cared for her much more than she deserved. Therefore, in spite of his pride, in spite of his annoyance, the pirate found himself running after the girl.

His urge to see her, to protect her, Ace hated it.

Wind grazing his face, he dashed and jumped through the dark forest. His lungs were burning and so were his legs, but it was nothing to the sweltering sensation the flame user felt as Eli's image formed in his mind. Something akin to passion sizzling inside of him, he wanted her to be his, he _had_ to make her his. Ace was exasperated of their little mind games, they were childish, and had lasted for much too long. He knew that he and Eli belonged together. She was supposed to love him, _adore_ him, yet she was fighting against her feelings, fighting against _him_, and the young pirate was tired of this futile resistance; he would make Eli accept the reality of her feelings, whether she wanted it or not.

A frantic chirping sound was heard not to far from him, making the young man adjust his course.

"Shut up !"

That was her voice, she was angry, he could tell, and the belligerent tone of her voice grated on his ears. Gritting his teeth, Ace hastened his pace, his hat falling from his head through his rushed race.

The forest was thick, trees and bushes blocking his view, Ace only managed to see Eli when he was a few dozen meters away from her.

"Move !" he yelled, seeing the girl standing still in front of a swarm of wasps. But she didn't move, she didn't even seem to hear him and the dangerous insects were getting closer. "MOVE !"

Finally, Eli slowly turned around but did not make a move to get away from the hostile swarm. She was just in front of him, a terror-stricken look on her face quickly making Ace remember... The girl was an entomophobe; her phobia went hardly unnoticed for someone who had shared a part of his adolescence with her. Yet, despite her phobia, she always found the strength to yell and run except for one time... A summer day in Fuschia, the teen had be training in the forest with Luffy and Eli, and accidentally, he caused the fall of a wasps' nest right in front of the girl. The two brothers ran away on the spot but she stayed there, paralyzed.

She had the same look on her face then...

The swarm was right behind her and so Ace prepared his attack. He set his fist ablaze, avoided the girl, and launched a stream of fire from the palm of his hand.

One split second in this raging inferno and the swarm ended on the ground, smoldering, with a stench of over burnt barbecue, but Eli was still standing wordlessly, trembling like a creature in agony, and watching her, the flame user felt a force raising inside of him, an irrepressible urge impelling the young man to take his loved one in his arms.

Ace wrapped his arms around her, that girl so tall, taller than him; she just seemed so small then. She was so strong, stubborn beyond belief, yet she seemed so fragile at that moment. Though seldom, this state always made his resolves crush in an instant. All he wanted was to hold her, forgive her and love her until the end of times.

"I'm here, don't worry."

The young man didn't have to force the sweetness of his voice. Sweet and almost desperate; he wanted her to hear him and talk again, smile again, but Eli was shivering relentlessly in his arms as if she was freezing therefore Ace caressed her cold skin tenderly, sharing his unnatural warmth and soon, the shivers lessened.

"Eli... I'm here now," he repeated, almost like a prayer, hoping that she would soon feel better and understand that there was nothing to fear when he was by her side.

And then... a loud slapping sound cut through the air. That air so dark and cold that with his words, with his love he had tried his best to lighten and warm, just for her.

But now it had frozen solid.

A hand on his cheek, Ace was thrown off balance by her fierce reaction even though the flame user was used to coping with pain. His tolerance was even out of the ordinary, and so the ache caused by the blow he had just received on the face was already vanishing, but seeing her crying face, a raw twinge pierced through his chest.

"Why did you _come_ ?" Eli screamed hysterically.

She looked like a fury; her face distorted in anger, her chest was heaving forcibly, but all he could see was the flow of tears streaming from her green eyes.

"I'm not your damsel in distress !"

Ace heard her and the tightening on her throat, he felt it too. It made it hard for him to mouth words of comfort. Wordlessly watching the girl he loved crying in front of him was unbearable, excruciating to an utmost degree; the sight of her tears lacerated his soul.

"You ignore me and then come and rescue me ?"

Ace wanted to take her lips to his, muzzle her mouth with his and stop the flow of loathsome words as well as the salty tears pouring from her eyes. Forcibly, he grabbed the girl's wrists and tried to bring her against him but her rage was uncontainable. The south bird she was holding flapped his wings frantically as Eli jerked and kicked in all directions, making the young man tighten his grip on her fragile wrists.

"Eli !" he called out, not able to contain the harsh tone of his voice.

The young man felt that if he held her just a bit tighter, her bones would snap. Yet, apparently ignoring the pain, Eli struggled more violently than before, as if she was some wounded wild beast caught in a snare.

"I HATE YOU !" she barked, glaring deeply into his eyes.

"STOP CRYING !"

That was all he could manage to yell, anger showing all over his face... The young man didn't want to yell at her, no man should ever yell at a girl, not in this manner, not _ever_, but he had to make it stop, by any means possible.

"I'M NOT..." Eli's yelling was cut short, something apparently choking her throat from the inside. "crying..." she finished, her voice diluted in her tears.

_Don't..._ Ace gritted his teeth. Green eyes' finding dark ones, he saw the despair quivering under her soaked orbs. Finally, the girl was looking at him, _really_ looking at him, desperately. She seemed at a loss, not comprehending what was happening to her.

Weakened, his grip dispersed and Eli rubbed her eyes vigorously, as if to sponge the look on her face.

The young man had no idea what expression he was wearing, but Eli didn't seem to like it. Weakly, she glared at him, she yelled again and quickly looked away.

"It's the wasps..." she said.

"I know," he murmured, knowing all the while that it wasn't the wasps.

It was _him_.

Feeling that he was losing her, Ace took a step closer toward the girl and lifted his hand in his direction as if to catch her... but it was too late. Her tears, they were shed because of him. He had done enough and couldn't find the strength to fight anymore. His heart crushing inside of his chest, he couldn't even find the strength to look at her anymore.

Wearily, he let his arm fall to his side, and his withdrawal must have felt like a release for her because as soon as Ace retreated, Eli's crying ceased. The girl seemed appeased, and silently, she started walking away.

As Ace watched her walking away from him, he told himself that he had to leave her alone. His body, however, did not seem to share his resolve. Tingling annoyingly, his legs wanted to follow her. The girl disappeared behind a tree and the young gave the ground a kick; he shouldn't move, he wouldn't move...

But then, why did he find himself proceeding behind her ?

Ace sped up his pace until his eyes found Eli again. With an exasperated sigh, he fixed his hat on his head, while wallowing in the defeat of his need to protect her, no matter how painful it was to have her so close yet so distant.

It was simple though.

He wanted to love her and have her loving him in return. It was so simple. A mere wish of love from a young man for a young woman. It was so very simple. They knew each other, they shared the same dreams, the same life; they were good with each other.

It should have been simple.

But every time Ace had tried to get closer, he had scared her off. Every time he had cared for her, he had seen hatred burning in her eyes. In the end, maybe they weren't meant to be more than friends. Maybe they weren't good for each other.

Maybe loving her wasn't enough...

Doubt swelling inside of him, the young man was more and more convinced by his dark thoughts. _He_ wasn't good for her. He was the demon's child after all, and no good deeds would ever erase what he was.

Eli was walking a few meters away from him. He could see her clearly, yet with her thin body and her pale skin, she seemed aerial. She was so light that her footsteps on the ground were soundless when his were heavy. He felt _heavy_. Like a burden on her frail back, and so when she swirled around suddenly, a frown on her face, he knew that she was going to yell at him again.

Ace opened his mouth a few times, but no words seemed to make their way through his throat, and after all what words ? The young man didn't know what to say, and maybe there was nothing he could say.

Resolutely, she marched over to him, and Ace couldn't look at her. He searched for words of apologies in his mind, but Eli had made clear that she didn't need him, so what were his excuses for still following her...?

A step away from him, Eli came to a stop.

"I miss you, Ace," she said firmly.

_What ? _Fear beating in his ears, the young man wasn't quite sure he heard her right.

"Don't ever leave me again."

_What did she say ?_ Disbelieving, his eyes met hers, and Ace felt that the girl was piercing through him. She just seemed so honest, but how could she ? He had seen the fear, and then the anger in her lovely eyes, so how could she look at him so truthfully while asking him to stay by her side ?

"I thought you were scared of me," Ace finally said, carefully choosing his words, and while he wasn't quite looking at her, the young man lifted hesitantly his hand to his temple. "I don't want-"

"I was wrong !" Eli interrupted him, starling the young pirate with the loudness of her voice.

She looked angry, but then with a doggish shake of her head, her expression morphed into a sad plea. "I was wrong... Stay with me, please."

Ace's hand fell as well as all his certitudes. How could he believe her ? It was just one more of her tender and so delicious apologies. Like that night in Alabasta, and like when she had held his hand. Every time he had forgiven her, and every time she had gotten closer to him only to take everything back when he had tried to do the same.

Eli took a step closer and leaned her body against his chest.

"Please..." she murmured exquisitely in his ear, her soft breath causing shivers to race on his skin.

The adoring tone of Eli's voice making his mind run wild, Ace wanted to hold her, ravish her lovely lips so close to his ear and, more than anything else, he wanted to wash the sadness away from her jade eyes.

But Ace needed answers; he needed to understand what she wanted, once and for all. Therefore, ignoring his instincts, the flame user rested his hands on her small shoulders and pushed the girl away. Holding her still, he steadied his arms, straight and unwavering while underneath this display of strength, all he wanted was to press her against him.

Eli's eyes widened, something akin to fear glimmering in her orbs, and already, Ace felt his resolve weakening. Unable to withstand her desperate gaze, his head dropped while he exhaled a breath he had been holding for much too long.

_Focus, focus !_ he ordered himself.

"Ace I-"

The flame user raised his head on the spot and blasted a dangerous stare at her. He couldn't let her talk, for the sweet tone of her voice would easily make all his resolve wane.

"You have to tell me what you want," Ace ordered, frowning at her. "I won't understand until you tell me."

There. It was simple and clear.

Through his eager eyes, Ace saw Eli swallowing hard, he saw her blinking with incomprehension, and as a heavy blanket of silence covered the two pirates, the flame user felt expectancy shoot up. Piecing her with a stare, the young man wished he could read her mind, but suddenly, her head drooped, as if she had no more strength to hold it upright.

_I love you idiot, tell me what you want !_ he yelled inwardly, tensing the muscles of his arms so that they wouldn't flinch.

"Please..." she begged almost inaudibly.

A twitch in his fingers, Ace tightened his grip on her shoulders and Eli raised her face to look at him. He couldn't, he _wouldn't_ let her go without answering his question. No matter how sweet her supplication was, no matter how painful it was for him to resist her demand.

Deeply, she peered into his eyes, and the young man felt as if his mind was being read, but he didn't care, she could read all she wanted as long as she gave him an answer.

But Eli didn't answer. She didn't say a word. Silently, she bit her bottom lip, and Ace felt his whole self tightening as he watched her do so. Her lips... They seemed so soft, so tempting to take them with his mouth. These rosy full lips... She mistreated them so carelessly while all he wanted was to cherish them.

Hypnotized by her mouth, Ace didn't see the girl lifting her hand to his cheek, and when he felt her cold fingertips brushed his heated skin, the flame user found himself holding his breath.

"I'm sorry..." she said weakly, her sweet voice finishing to crush his willpower.

With an agonizing sigh, Ace pulled Eli back in his arms. That was the best thing to do, for his resolve was definitely profaned by a lustful heat that he couldn't repress. So he held her. He held her tight, maybe too tight, but it was better than fulfilling the wild wishes murmured in the back of his head...

Eli wrapped her arms around him and Ace would have wished he could enjoy this moment, but the bittersweetness of the embrace deadened it greatly. The girl made herself comfortable so easily, while his question remained unanswered, and he was once more in the grip of her lunatic behaviors.

"... you'll have to tell me, Eli," he said softly in her ear, knowing that selfishly she didn't care.

* * *

**Betaed by Fox MC.**

_Yeah, I know poor Ace, Eli doesn't know how lucky she is to be loved by him.  
But that is the problem, Eli doesn't know._

_Ace is quite a coward, __he's asking her to tell him what she wants from him, but he had never been entirely honest with her either.__  
He doesn't just 'like' her; he loves her...  
__If the two of them could just talk... well, if they could, where the fun would be ?  
And expressing ones' feelings isn't that easy._

_Anyway I loved writing Flame Boy's inner battle (it was hard so I hope I managed to write some good lines) and I just love how weak Eli makes him feel.  
He is so arrogant.  
In a fight he would never have any doubts, but love..._

_Love is different obviously, and for him, the 'demon's child', it is the battle of his life.  
Hopefully, he will emerge victorious from this epic fight :)_

_See you on Friday for the next Freckles._


	15. Sore Nothingness

_'Freckles' - chapter 57._

_In the end, Eli wasn't so surprised to see Ace asleep on the floor. The bad timing of their interactions was recurrent and somehow comical. When she had finally decided to talk to him, the young man just had to fall asleep.

* * *

_

**Sore Nothingness**

Hammering was good, hammering was relaxing. Not as relaxing as burning a marine vessel, but almost. Yes, hammering was extremely relaxing and the good thing about hitting a tool on a nail was that it prevented, quite efficiently, the worker from hitting something else... or someone else.

However, hammering couldn't last forever, and now that the keel was overly repaired, Ace was left to his thoughts and, in his hammering-deprived head; the young man could hear Eli's voice once again. Annoying voice that is, actually more than the voice, it was the words that kept Ace's anger stirring inside of him.

With a deep, _deep_ sigh Ace finally put his hammer away and lay down, shifting his back to get comfortable, if such a luxury was even attainable on the wooden floor of the little room.

Just when he thought Eli couldn't get any more confusing, the young man was surprised to see the girl acting all clumsily with him. If he hadn't known her better, the black-eyed pirate could have seen love in her awkward behavior. But Ace knew better, and it has been a long time since he had gave up on trying to find love through her gestures.

The girl was uncomfortable, that was all there was to see, he convinced himself in fear for spoiled hopes. She was definitely uncomfortable and trying to make amend by acting as nice as possible. But Ace didn't care for a nice, considerate Eli; all he wanted now was answers. More than answers, in fact, the young man wanted the green-eyed girl to see, at last, that he wasn't the friend she stubbornly convinced herself he was. Ace wanted more and he knew that Eli too. However, as he had tried to make her talk once more, she had fled, like she always did, and the pirate was losing hope of having her gaining the basic knowledge of her own sentiment, ever.

Rolling on his side, Ace tucked an arm under his head while his free hand tapped the wooden floor out of annoyance.

It felt like it had been a while since he didn't get a good night sleep and the increasing frequency of his narcoleptic fits was a proof of how much his sleep deprived body needed to rest. But how could he ? Sleeping in the noisy males' dorms was enough of a challenge already, and lately, as his mind kept wandering behind the door that gave out on the girl's room, it was just impossible.

Ace rolled on his back again, finding it hard to stay still when his mind was in such a state of flutter and frustration.

For the last few days, the young man had found himself getting up in the middle of the night. Fresh and quiet, it wasn't the nocturnal atmosphere that made him leave his hammock while the other pirates were fast asleep. He wanted to see Eli. During night-time, she seemed slightly more inclined to talk or perhaps she was, at least, approachable. Alas, the girl was never there, surely comfortably nettled in her own sheets, not once she showed up to his untold rendez-vous.

He should have known for, after all, Eli never did anything expected.

And once again.

Oh, he heard her; she was coming back. At first, the faint footfalls on the ladder's rungs, and then, increasingly louder as she drew near to the room. And no, he won't talk to her. Ace was too damn tired to face her once more. Seeing her acting stupidly while ignoring the serious situation they both were in was a spectacle he would gladly go without.

The hinges grated and Ace closed his eyes shut.

"Hey, I brought..." she trailed off sounding rather disappointed.

_Well, your turn to wait now_, Ace thought, disdain heating his mind, and already, he wanted her to leave.

He heard the sound of something being put on the floor, and soon, a delicious smell of food filled the young man's nostrils. _Damn_. That was then that the Ace noticed how hungry he was. An appetizing perfume of meat and some spices was spreading in the air... Cinnamon ? Tomatoes too. _Damn, damn..._

The delicious scent filling his hungry mind, Ace felt that he wouldn't be able to cope up with his little act much longer. But since she couldn't talk to him, Eli would probably leave and hopefully, let the food behind.

Parting stealthily his eyelids for a split second, he saw that the girl was now searching through her bag. Rustling, clinking; what kind of mess was prevailing inside ? As the sounds of her search occupied his ears, Ace felt impatience shoot up. Why didn't she just take her bag and leave ?

The young man heard a quiet, satisfied sound, and then, stealth footfalls as Eli was moving in his direction.

_Oh not she's not... _Ace had a bad feeling about what she was going to do and soon, the very recognizable sound of a marker being uncapped confirmed his suspicions.

She was going to draw on him.

_Little..._ Ace restrained himself from jumping on the spot. He would wait for her to be close enough and give her the fear of her life.

A subtle scent of soap, she was close and the flame user prepared himself to utter the louder shout of his life. Maybe he could set his eyes aflame. That would definitely add a nice horrifying touch to the coup de theatre.

_Eh ?_

Ace didn't feel the expected the cold and moist tip of a marker on his cheek. Definitely not a marker, it wasn't a finger either. It was soft, warm and...

Lips ?

Was Eli actually _kissing_ him ?

Unable to keep feigning his sleep anymore, Ace parted his eyelids, and they kept opening, wide wide open, as he confirmed that Eli was _absolutely_ kissing him on the cheek.

His mouth went slightly agape as he watched the girl hovering above him, her lips caressing his cheek quite exquisitely. Her eyes were closed and she looked serene.

How dared she ?

The young man had never acted so inconsiderately. Even when he had woken up next to her and found the girl sleeping next to him, much closer than expected, he had been respectful and patient. Yet, _she_ dared.

Doing the things he had restrained himself to do so many times that it became more an habit than a restriction, Eli proved, once more, that she was a wonder that would never cease to amaze him.

The heedless girl sighed softly against his cheek and brought a hand to his hair. Slowly, she slid her delicate fingers through his mane, her fingertips grazing his scalp. Subtle and captivating at the same time, the tender touch woke the flame user's primal instincts.

His restraints snapped and, with a slow intake of air, Ace settled a hand on her thin arm and turned his face slowly. The girl's full lip brushed along the skin of his cheek, the corner of his lips and, at last, his mouth.

It should have been a delightful sensation, but the young man had yet to taste the desirable kiss. At the very instant her lips touched his, Eli's eyes snapped open for a split second, dread was manifest but not tainting the loveliness of the jade orbs and, like a shot, she jerked away, scrambling frantically backwards until her back his a wooden box with a thud.

Despair painted across her face, she remained there, like petrified, and Ace was nothing but a needful body governed by his physical needs. The flame user got on his hands and knees and slowly advanced toward her. His hand lifted and aimed directly for her flushed cheek, caressing the smooth skin with his fingers, his face got closer to hers. Not reconsidering one split second, he advanced unwaveringly toward the trembling lips and Eli closed her eyes forcibly. Her erratic breath caressed his skin as he slowly licked his lips.

This was going to be good...

Yet, what happened after that was, somehow, obscure.

Ace had felt a grip on his wrist and that unexpected touch transported him three years ago. He saw a smaller him in the exact same position as he was at that very instant. He saw a smaller Eli, her hand holding the younger him's wrist, she was talking. The black-eyed pirate saw her lips moving, yet, heard nothing but a white noise. However, he knew what she was saying, he knew _exactly_ what were the words she mouthed.

"_You can't kiss me, Ace._"

They froze him from the inside.

The young man stood up and began talking, nothingness as they spread in the air.

All the while, Eli tried to talk as well, desperate attempts to hold him back, but his mind, too eager to desert the small room, refused to notice her trembling voice. Ace kept talking emptily and reached out for the door.

She tried to stop him and, as he felt her hands on his back, a rage burst inside of him and the flame user heard harsh words disgorging from his mouth.

Quickly getting a hold of his fury, Ace uttered a short excuse. He finally got out of the small room and closed the door behind him, leaving the girl behind.

As the metallic sound of the latch reached his ears, something suddenly clicked in his mind and the young man turned himself around, an urge submersing him as he processed what words he had let flowing from his mouth less than a few seconds ago.

Ace reached out for the doorknob and watched his hand as it clenched in reluctance.

If harsh, the words were also, somehow, true. Guilt was swelling up inside of him but it was only tainted by a keen chafe. He was sorry, not for trying to kiss Eli, but because he had let himself fall in love with her. It was all a mistake. He did wish she could forget everything. He did want to stop loving her.

The sentiment that were once sweet, sometimes lewd, were now nothing but stirring pain and frustration. Ace had to let her go, forget his love and move on. Serious he was in his resolves, and yet, guilt and regrets remained in the very midst of them. If he had told Eli his feelings as truthfully as they were is reality, maybe, things would have been different.

But now it was too late.

Ace walked away from the Merry where the joyous atmosphere grated on his ears. He walked, grass rustling under his boots, a night breeze caressing his body, the enchanting glimmer of the stars... Those soothing sensations were wasted as they failed to reach the emptiness of the young man's mind. A void was where Eli used to be, an empty space calling for sorrow.

The young pirate had no idea how much he would miss loving her.

And so, he walked, each step as hollow as the previous.

* * *

After some time, he had no idea how long, Ace's aimless walk brought the pirate back to his home where his crewmates were still lively and very eager to reach for the clouds. Empty, his mind was hungry for an occupation, though. Any kind of occupation would do, as long as it could satiate his aching void. Therefore, when he was offered a job to equip the figurehead of the Merry with cute accessories, the black haired pirate accepted on the spot the useless task, and soon, he found himself hammering again.

"You said you'd leave her alone."

Ace didn't have to turn around to figure out who was talking to him, and what kind of expression was on his face. Sanji, the ladies' knight in his shinning armor.

"Hey, I'm talking to you !" the cook said. "You hurt her again didn't you ?"

A sigh was the flame user's only reply.

Unsatisfied, apparently, Ace heard Sanji dashing in his direction, and with every one of his rapid footfalls, Ace felt rage exploding and expanding inside of him, engulfing eagerly in the emptiness. His blood was boiling as he stood and swirled to stave off the blow.

"You're wrong, Sanji."

Ace had caught the cook's high lifted leg in his hand and now the two young men, frozen in an odd position, were looking at Luffy standing on their side, a serious expression on his juvenile face.

"Ace would never hurt Eli," Luffy added. "He loves her."

There was an awkward pause then.

Hushed as can be, the blond and the dark-haired men stared at the teenager, blinking rapidly as they did. All the sounds seemed much louder than before, the waves, the cawing of the seagulls, and soon, the footfalls of all the person present on the deck getting closer to them.

"She loves him too."

With that final statement, voices arose. Usopp's was the first; the young marksman claimed proudly that he always knew which caused the young and gullible Chopper to utter amazed praises. In the background, a soft chuckle, Robin's, and then, louder, Sanji's intelligible and bewildered cries.

But all Ace could hear was the voice of his little brother, his naive and dumb little brother. His previous state of mind had dispersed with the teen's innocent words, and now, they were echoing endlessly within the flame user's empty mind.

"What...? When ? Why ? How ?" Sanji asked confusingly as he grabbed Luffy's clothes, shaking the young pirate desperately.

"Jeez, are you dumb ?" Luffy frowned at the cook. "They love each other since like forever !"

Ace's jaw went slack._ Forever ? _Luffy was going a bit too far there. The young man's mouth closed as he shook his head, clearing his mind of the embarrassing proclamation.

"_Ohhh... Freckles... I wish I had some of those._"

Silently, a faint smile crept on Ace's lips. Maybe that wasn't love at first sight, but Eli as always been special to him and, as lovely recollections fluttered in his mind, he knew he had to tell her.

* * *

_I'm sorry I made you wait.__But you see, I am very unsatisfied with this chapter, and since I don't have a beta to ease my doubts, I was extremely reluctant and lazy. I didn't want to publish it. Not yet at least._

_I feel a bit like Ace now. Empty.  
__*sigh*_

_Yet, some friends of mine loved it so here you go._

_I like Luffy's moment though ;)_

_See you soon~_


	16. Her Strength

_'Freckles' - chapters 58 & 59._

_Eli was so deeply charmed by those juvenile gestures that she was extremely surprised to find herself, a split second later, leaning over the railing while holding the young man by the wrist a few meters above the water._

_Apparently, he had been struck by a narcoleptic fit and slipped from the figurehead._

* * *

**Her Strength**

Narcolepsy was a _real_ pain in ass but, within the years, Ace got used to it. Not that he could do anything about it anyway. Of course, when the black-haired pirate was traveling alone, this sleeping disorder had been, more than once, problematic, but as soon as he got a crew to take care of him when a fit struck, it was more comical than endangering.

A split second before it happened, Ace usually realized that he was falling asleep. He couldn't do anything to prevent it, yet, he could feel his muscles suddenly becoming weak and soon, a dark and blurred mist covered his vision. Being on the Merry's figurehead, the young man knew that there were extremely high probabilities he'd fall in the sea.

_Damn..._

His hair fluttering rapidly, Ace felt himself plummeting in the air as well as in the hollow and black infinity. Bright shapes were wavering behind his eyelids and the young man's mind was peacefully drowning in a vast and fluctuating void while is previous surroundings felt light years away from him and that faint tingle of anxiousness he had felt knowing that below him was the sea had entirely vanished from his mind.

And then, a sharp grip on a part of him, his arm maybe, pulled the young man out of the black nothingness. His mind jerked back in his head along with dread as Ace saw that he was suspended a few meters above the water. His head snapped upward and he saw her.

Eli.

She was leaning over the railing to hold him and, from her wincing face, it did not take a genius to figure that he was too heavy for the featherweight she was. She would never be able to pull him back on the Merry and soon she would fall too.

"Let go, idiot !" Ace ordered, worry hidden behind his angry reaction.

"I can't !" Eli whined, her eyes focused on her fickle grip of the Merry.

Her hand clawed to the railing, Ace saw the tensed muscles of her arm shaken by spasms, while pained whines escaped her mouth. Bewilderment painted across his face, the flame user watched the girl he loved futilely fighting with all of her strength against his ineluctable fall. She had him speechless. Why couldn't she let go ? Anyone could save him, _anyone_, but her.

Eli turned her head in his direction and stared deeply in his eyes. There was something sharp in her jade orbs, something true and pure; a resolve and Ace found himself overwhelmed with awe under her piercing gaze.

"I won't," she corrected, shaking her head as she did. "I won't let you go, Ace."

The girl's words made his guts wrench while Ace was speechlessly staring at her.

They fell.

They fell together and crashed into the sea.

A swift shiver raced all over Ace's skin as the cold water enveloped the flame user's unnaturally hot body. Eli was still holding him and, in spite of the salty water stinging his orbs, Ace couldn't take his eyes off her. A soft smile on her face; she looked happy. They were both devil fruit users and their lives were clearly endangered, yet, she looked happy. They were drowning deeper and deeper at an amazing speed, unable to fight against their own body which were weighing suddenly ten times heavier, pulling them straight to the bottom of the sea, but she looked happy.

Eli always looked happy in the water. Silly girl.

From the tip of what was once his arm Ace felt a shift. Slowly, the girl slid her fingers in between his and squeezed his large hand a little. She propelled herself in his direction and this sight mesmerized Ace. She was beautiful. Grace and thin, sure and true, heartening and tender; she was so beautiful. The faint rays of the morning sun were piercing through the surface of the water as if only to touch the two pirates and Eli wrapped her arm around his neck.

She was smiling at him and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he was smiling at her.

Whether it was Eli's doing or the effect that the water had on him, Ace was pacified. His mind was white and his body was numb. The only thing the flame user could still feel in the midst of this salty nothingness was a soft warmth slowly fluttering inside of him. It was peacefully wavering in his stomach and chest and, somewhere in the infinite void that had replaced his mind; the young man felt that it would be all right to remain there, with her.

* * *

Ace brutally came back to his senses only when his head broke the surface of the water. Someone was carrying him. Zoro...? And then, he was thrown on the wooden floor. A coughing fit had him expelling the water from his lungs while his whirling vision gradually became cleared. From the corner of his eye Ace distinguished Eli lying to his side.

His fingers moved absently, feeling emptiness where her hand used to be. Now intangible, their moment was over and, already, Ace began to wonder if it wasn't just a dream. A reasonable part of him persuading the young man that he shouldn't give into hope, the flame user rolled his head away from Eli.

But then, a soft brush against his skin got him looking at his hand. Her arm stretched out in his direction, it was Eli's hand and, on the spot, Ace's took it in his.

For once, Eli did not fail her words; she wasn't letting him go. Moreover, she had taken one more step in his direction and the reasonable part of him was hushed by such an earnest gesture. Her hold on his fingers was weak yet steady. Ace knew that all over the ship, their crewmates could see them and their hands tenderly intertwined, but he didn't care. It felt so warm, so good and so filled with hope.

"Ohhhh ! How cute ! They're holding hands !" Usopp mocked childishly, making Ace roll his eyes in annoyance. Couldn't the kids just leave them alone ?

Upon hearing the teasing, Ace felt Eli's hand moving in his. The girl was uncomfortable obviously, but he wasn't going to let her go, not anymore. If her resolve was weak he will be there to strengthen it. He will be here support and protect it for the sake of their love.

His fingers squeezed on her palm. "You said you wouldn't let go." The words grating on his sore throat, Ace shifted his gaze from the delicate hand to the girl to whom it belonged.

He had already seen this sight before.

Eli was lying wearily on the wooden deck in a way the young man couldn't help but see as extremely luscious. Ace watched her heaving chest, her small and disturbingly firm breasts showing through her tank top. Useless piece of fabric only making her body even more provoking as its strap had fallen from her shoulder. And her face, her lovely face, redden from the lack of air, her parted lips, her hard pants filling his ears... The young man's mind easily filled with heated images where _he_ would be the cause of such an exquisite state of weariness. Obviously, one hard and salty swallow wasn't enough to ease the burning wrench on his guts.

"I want to talk to you," Eli said calming, her eyes focused upward. "Alone."

Ace nodded silently and, while trying to find a comfortable and relaxing position, shifted his tightened body. Absently staring at the morning sky, he had to ignore how sensual his wet Eli was, because talking was what he wanted. Hopefully, he would be able to restrain himself from doing anything stupid and scare her away.

It was close, he could feel it, Eli was ready now, he just had to focus on his real purpose a _little_ longer and then... then he would be able to revel in his love of her, completely.

* * *

_Okay this was short._  
_I tried to work on the last part of the chapter but, in the end, it seemed rather useless and repetitive so I just cut it._

_Despite of the shortness of this chapter, I'll update Freckles on Friday._  
_It still needs some work and I'm having a hard time writing the next chapter(s)._

_*sigh*  
When I think that there was a time when I managed to pull out a full 2500 words chapter in one day but now..._

_Anyway, I hope you liked it and see you soon :)_


	17. Luffy

_'Freckles' - chapters 66._

_The fear that had spread through the pirate girl's blood upon hearing the words 'terrible' and 'danger' so close to 'crewmates' was quickly washed away at the mention of a missing person... The second person she was supposed to be with. The person she had completely forgotten the moment her eyes met with the cloudy fox. The person she was, quite outrageously, making out with just a few minutes ago..._

* * *

**Luffy**

Lying on the soft Skypiean ground, in the middle of the thick forest, Ace was gazing upward. His eyes wandering through the green canopy partially covering the sky, he was lost in his thoughts while the ache of his hardened member throbbing within its confines gradually faded. Slightly dazed, the young man let his mind recollect the last events that had brought him here.

It began with a kiss, the _first_ kiss.

It was, somehow, _unreal_. From the moment Eli had agreed to it, a part of Ace had been waiting for the usual interruption. Not that he didn't want to kiss her but, careful, the young man was preparing himself. However, as the heated seconds passed, no yell, no explosion, no changes in Eli's behavior, nothing happened. The flesh of his lips was almost on fire as they approached from hers, it was tingling with excitation, and then, the contact was made... and it lasted. Eli's lips were a tad cold when his touched hers, but the rosy and salty skin soon matched the flame user's temperature, warming up quickly under his heated touch.

The first kiss was so unreal that Ace's eyes couldn't close. Completely amazed by the divine touch, he was staring at the girl's face and she was staring back at him.

The second kiss was everything Ace could have wished for. It was hers, very much hers, hurried and clumsy yet exciting and sweet at the same time, it was all that Eli was.

After that, it would have been impossible to count the kisses anymore. The two pirates' mouths moving sensually against each others', they mixed with the caresses, the heat, and the delicious sounds of their pleasure.

It was then, when he was drowning within this boiling whirlpool of delight, that Ace had started to fear his want. It was too strong, it was out of control, and it was impelling the young man to go further. A voice in the back of his head was pushing him forward, ordering him to take Eli and satisfy his hunger at last. Sulfurous images of the girl had been flickering in his mind. They titillated his every nerve, they fought with his moral restraints, and all the while, the voice called for more. It called for a complete invasion of the girl and the worst of it all was that it was Eli's voice.

And then Luffy had interrupted them. Eli had pummeled the flame user with a force completely unknown until then, and she had disappeared.

Therefore, at the very moment his dark eyes had met with the white Island of Skypiea, Ace decided he'd take Eli with him. Away from the Merry, away from the intrusive crew, away from everything, he would take her to the dream Island so that they could spend a bit of time together, alone, and above all, away from any possible source of interruption.

Maybe he should have reconsidered then.

From the moment they slid down, Ace's hands had been firmly planted into the soft ground, restraining his fingers from running on the girl's body to keep a cool head. Eli, however, was on the loose. Freely, she had let her desire move on the skin of the young man, kissing, caressing, and scratching the very cage of his want, calling for it to join hers.

Behind his closed eyelids, the pressure on his hardened member, the caress of her delicate fingers on his heated skin, and the mind-blowing kisses had been forming shapes of light and heat. It had felt like a song, a music she played with her body against his own. It had floated in his mind and, as he listened to the exquisite melody, Ace was surprised of how much self-control he had.

She was searing, she was maddening.

Eli wasn't _that_ skilled, though, and it wasn't like he hadn't been touched before, far from that. The number of women he had been with was quite impressive and they had touched him, every portion of his skin they had kissed and caressed in the most expert ways, yet, never had he felt so overwhelmed. Maybe it was because Eli wasn't any girl, she was the one he loved, and maybe, that was the very reason why, for once, he wanted to take the slow path. The green-eyed girl, however, did not seem to share his resolve. She was teasing him, with her hands she was teasing him, and with her voice she was beckoning his desire.

"_Freckles..._"

Her voice had made its way to his ears, causing a wrench to grip on his guts heatedly. Never Ace had imagined that this childish nickname could have been mouthed in such a languid manner. Like a purr, like a delicious plead, Eli's desire had surged over the voiceless young man.

When had she become so enticing ?

As if it wasn't enough, Eli had striped off her clothing. Almost shyly, she had revealed her lovely chest to his bewildered eyes. Why did she have to do that ? She was acting even more forward than he wanted her to, more than he had ever dreamed of, and that could only cause one thing, Ace knew it then, Eli would flee. Whenever they had gone a bit too far, she had. Whenever he had unleashed his want, something came in the way, anything, and Eli had fled.

At that moment this fear had been enough to distract Ace from the exciting sight of her firm breasts hugged so very tightly by her swimsuit until, Eli had meant to reveal more of her, too much actually, more than he could withstand. Ace's hands had captured hers; restraining the girl he loved to give herself to him.

Things were all so blurry in his mind then, the will to protect himself from yet another frustration, the want of her pounding all over his skin... they fought and mixed, they merged and dissolved before bursting stronger than before.

"_Touch me..." _She had talk again. Eli's sweet voice, it had begged the young man to touch her, and so did her eyes.

"_If we go too fast, you'll run away_," Ace had explained, and nothing could have prepared the young man for Eli's reaction.

She had smiled, quite deviously at that, she mocked him.

A sly look on her face, she had removed his belt, the regular sound of the leather brushing against the rim of his shorts accompanying the sensation of release taking over him. She had teased him, smirking while she slid her fingers under the fabric and then... she stopped.

Ace had uncovered his face as he felt the weight of her body leaving his hips. His eyes had followed her as she ran into the forest after some small and white creature, before staring at the emptiness where she was last seen.

_I knew it..._

And there he was. Looking blindly at the leaves fluttering above him, just like the bitter sensation of frustration underneath his skin.

With a deep sigh, Ace grabbed his belt that Eli so teasingly removed from his shorts, and put it back slowly. His orange hat was a bit further. Looking at the bright headgear, the flame user remembered how Eli had took it off his head causing another sigh of frustration to escape his mouth.

"Hey-"

As the voice, singing quite annoyingly, reached his ears, Ace's head snapped around to look at the girl who was walking towards him. Eli startled before laughing sheepishly. Through his furious glare, he saw her walking, slowly, and sitting by his side, a little and embarrassed smile reddening her cheeks.

Eli was looking down, but her smile was still very present, she was mocking him, again. "Listen, I-"

"No, YOU listen," Ace interrupted, feeling his frustration bursting through his throat along with his harsh voice. "You can't do this, you just... CAN'T !" As she was still avoiding his gaze, he lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You understand ?"

A faint sting of guilt bit on his burning heart as Ace pierced her green eyes with his. Eli seemed so innocent then. How did she manage to be so... multiple ? Shy and forward, mature and childish, sly and innocent, the green-eyed girl was all that, and even more, and the flame user had no idea how to react, how to make her understand.

Eli opened her mouth hesitantly, no sound coming out her lips, and as he watched those lips, Ace's guilt clawed tighter on his insides.

"I'm sorry but..." Eli said quietly, lifting her hands she curled her fingers around his as she spoke and at that moment Ace was ready to forgive her. He really was, until... "Did you see him ? He was so cute..."

How dared she ? His whole body burning with ire, Ace grabbed the girl's wrist and forcibly pushed her on the ground.

"Do you know for how long I've been waiting for this, Eli ?" he asked with disdain.

Glaring at her with all of his desire and rage mixing together in his boiling blood, Ace wished he could stick his words in her stupid brain. He wished she could understand that this wasn't a game.

"Do you have any idea how painful it was to restrain myself, Eli ?"

Of course not.

"I knew you would flee," he said harshly, giving his head a brutal shake as he spoke. "I knew it and you-"

"I didn't flee."

Eli seemed so serene and so true.

"I won't change, Ace. I won't flee, but I won't change who I am."

Her voice was sweet yet steady and so was her gaze. Ace felt so childish then. How unfair. He wasn't the one who went running after some animal half naked, leaving his very excited partner behind. Yet, her words were true, the girl had always been like that, she didn't change and he loved her just like that.

With a hearty affection, Eli eased his anger. Gentle and delicate, she kissed his face tenderly, caressed his cheek like no one had done before; with love, and her love, her sweet love, was the most exquisite thing she could give him.

And so the shackles shattered.

Ace pushed her body on the ground, and hovered over her. Devouring Eli with his lustful stare, he didn't mind the fast path anymore. His hands were burning with want as the young man let them slide on her body, on her deliciously small chest, and through her short hair. Touching her, the flame user elicited arousing sounds from her, and as Eli rolled her head upward and offered her pale neck to him, he didn't reconsider a split second before crashing his famished mouth onto her skin.

His lips relished along her throat and on her mouth, plunging his heated tongue inside, for a wet and exquisite contact, hurling him into another world. His fingers slipped under the fabric of her swimsuit, the contact with her breast sending shivers throughout her body, directly into his throbbing arousal.

She was a drug, a divine and thrilling drug, and she was his.

Maddened, Ace wrapped one of her leg around his waist and thrust his hips into hers, the whine she uttered and the burning sensation nearly sending him over the edge.

But he wanted more, he needed more, he was _starving_ for more. Ace's hand moved downward to bare him of the fabric preventing him to invade her entirely. He wanted to hear more, he wanted to see her flushed face screaming with pleasure. His hand on the buckle of his belt, the flame user gave his hips another roll.

"Luffy !" Eli gasped.

_Eh...?_

The raging inferno he was in froze solid then.

_Luffy !_ It wasn't his name, it wasn't even random cry of pleasure. _Luffy !_ It was the name of his little brother; he couldn't be mistaken, not while it echoed in his mind endlessly. _Luffy ! _The girl he loved, the girl he was touching, the girl he was ready to make love with had whined the name of his little brother. _Luffy !_ If there was something, only one thing that Ace didn't want to hear at that very moment, it was certainly that. _Luffy !_

"WHAT !" Ace yelled, releasing the breath he had been holding, and blocking his empty lungs in fear for whatever Eli's explanation might be. Because there had to be an explanation, there was no way she had cried his dumb, rubbery, little brother's name because of what he was doing to her... No way...

Eli swallowed hard as she set her eyes onto his. "Luffy and... everyone..." She took another gulp, the pause causing impatience to blow and expand in the flame user's head. "They're in danger."

Ace replayed the girl's words a few times, _really_ analyzing the meaning of it all. As he did, his breathing became quickly more regular yet, soon erratic, as he found himself enjoying a loud, tears-induced, laughing fit.

Definitely, Ace had no idea how to handle Eli, but as long as she made him laugh from the bottom of his heart, he surely didn't care.

* * *

_This has been requested a few times. I hope you liked it :)_

_See you on Monday for Freckles._


	18. Confession

_'Freckles' - chapters 70._

_Sitting by the campfire's side, the fire reflected in Eli's jade eyes. With a smile on her face, she gazed at Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp who were dancing with the wolves, until the sound of Sanji's bewildered screams reached her ears. Looking in his direction, she saw the young man literally burning up with rage in front of a very amused Ace. A sigh left her mouth as she observed the blond making wide, and quite threatening, motions with his arms._

* * *

**Confession**

"What did you do to her ?"

_Eh ? _Ace stared at the pirate cook questioningly. His hand stretched out, the black-eyed young man was giving him his empty bowl for a refill, and his back facing him, Sanji had uttered the puzzling question quite harshly.

A look of disdain on his face, the blond looked at the flame user from over his shoulder for a few intense seconds before shifting his glare to the, still empty, bowl.

"There's no food left," he said. Turning around completely, he brought a cigarette to his mouth and lit it.

"What do you mean by 'what did you do to her' ?" Ace asked, forgetting his greed as he gazed at the cook, he put his bowl next to him.

"Elisabeth." Sanji glanced toward the girl. "She's different."

Still very puzzled, Ace bent to the side to peer at Eli from behind his crewmate. Standing next to the large campfire, she was chatting with Nami. Carefully, he looked at her from her toes to the top of her head; unable to find the changes Sanji was talking about.

With a deep sigh, he shifted back to his previous position and held the blonde's harsh stare with steadiness as well as annoyance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ace shrugged.

Turning around, it was now the cook's time to observe the girl. A thin trail of smoke flew from his mouth with a breath.

"Her back is arched 2° more than before. The swaying of her hips had increased by 1.7%," Sanji listed while Ace found himself speechless before this scientific study of Eli's behavior. "The average time she runs her hand through her hair in one hour went from two to four !" His voice rose dangerously higher as the love-cook turned around to glare at Ace harder than before. "She even _plays_ with her lips now ! _What_ did you do to her !"

He was almost yelling yet, no one cared. The other pirates were playing around the fire, or relaxing while gazing at the large flames that were dancing to the rhythm of the crackling in a warm prevailing mood. No one cared for the blonde's fury, not even the one it was directed at.

First, Ace smiled, mischievously, it was then that the young pirate discovered that having _his_ girl's every move being dissected in such acute manner by another man's eyes felt like a praise. No matter how much he tried, no matter how much he stared, never Sanji would have Eli looking at him the way she looked at the freckled young man. Never will he have the chance to hear how sweet her voice could be, and never, will she touch him with her delicate hands the way she touched the heated skin of the flame user.

As his smile grew a little more wicked, Ace fueled the rage of the cook, not that he minded, and so, seeing the blonde's face distorting in anger, the raven haired pirate couldn't help the laughs that poured from his throat.

"What did you do to her ?" Sanji repeated for the third time behind his greeted teeth.

"A lot of things," Ace said teasingly. "And so did she."

Sanji's only visible eye widened, it was now _smoldering_ with rage. "You KISSED her you bastard !"

Struck by a terrible laughing fit, Ace could only nod while his body was convulsing.

"WHAAAAAAAT ?" Sanji grabbed the collar of Ace shirt, and brought his freckled face closer to his angry one. Deeply, he looked into the young man's dark orbs which were flickering with amusement while his laughter quickly died out.

"... tongue ?" the cook asked gravely, his nose almost touching the flame user's.

_Tongue...? _Ace repeated inwardly, not quite believing Sanji's question. That was all too much for the freckled young man.

"Of course !" Ace exclaimed.

"I'm SO gonna kill you !"

Sanji was fuming while Ace was chuckling. What did he expect ? Eli wasn't a little girl, and this was bound to happen, one day or another. If it weren't him, someone else would have kissed her, and so, as he watched the blond literally flaring up with rage, Ace felt that if jealousy was obviously the main reason of his ire, somewhere behind it, the young man was also worried for his friend. That thought cleared the flame user's mind from every ounce of mockery, Sanji was his crewmate, he was his friend, and he was also Eli's.

"Sanji... I'm not gonna hurt her." Ace sighed hearing the young man mumbling intelligible words quite threateningly. "I love her."

The blond startled, his face moving away from Ace's as he did. "What ?" His head tilted to the side, Sanji seemed to doubt his hearing.

"I loved Eli for a long time and now we're together."

It was said then and, if still burning up, Sanji was now voiceless. Did he understand how serious his crewmate was ? Did he finally see that the black-eyed pirate wasn't playing with an innocent damsel in distress ?

A friendly smile made its way to Ace's lips as Sanji finally released the collar of his shirt and while he sat down, the flame user felt a thoroughly happy. Declaiming his love, declaiming that he and Eli were a couple, felt so profoundly good. So good, in fact, that he wanted to stand up, and take her in his arms, kiss her in front of all his friends, and relish in the happiness of his love of her because, now, at last, she was his.

But this happiness did not last long...

* * *

Rolling from one side to the other in his sleeping bag, the growls Ace uttered grew louder as sleep didn't seem to be willing to release the young man of his disagreeable pondering.

A few hours ago, the flame user had found himself very happy. Nothing indeed could seem to quieten his glee. He and his crewmates were reunited, all safe and sound, they had shared a delicious meal, an adventure was planned for the day to come, and, gathered around a heartwarming campfire, they laughed and sang very light-heartedly until...

A deep sigh flew from his mouth as Ace lay on his back. The young man tucked his hands behind his neck and stared at the blackness of the forest's ceiling.

At that moment, however, regrets were biting guiltily on his restless mind. Never had he had a girlfriend before, the concept wasn't unknown to the young man though. Eli was definitely his girlfriend. They had kissed, a few times and, even though it hadn't been said aloud, they had clearly planned on doing it again. They were to be together from now on and they would, eventually, if the alignment of the stars allowed it, make love, and then, Ace wouldn't leave her like he did with all of his previous conquests. They would remain together because they both were pirates, because they both were in the same crew, and because they both shared the same dreams.

Yes, definitely, Eli was his girlfriend, and the proof of that wasn't the kisses, nor the caresses, the very best evidence of the seriousness of their relationship was that he loved her. He was going to kiss her again because he _needed_ to, he was going to make love with her because never had he wanted another woman as much as he wanted Eli, and Ace wasn't going to leave her the next day, not because they were in the same crew, but because he wanted to have her by his side, everyday.

And definitely, Eli felt the same.

So why ? Why did she want to keep this hidden ? This was the best thing that had happened to them and such a wholly happiness should be allowed to be shared with the people they cared for.

With a grunt, Ace rolled to the side, and from behind a tree, he peered at the group sleeping around the dyeing campfire. In the darkness, the young man managed to distinguish the sleeping form of Eli curled comfortably inside of her sleeping bag.

_She should be sleeping with me..._ He thought sullenly.

A frown on his face, the young pirate shut his eyes and let his thoughts wander in the tender recollection of Eli's embrace. With a sigh, Ace exhaled a portion of his stirring annoyance while the faint crackling of the campfire made its way to his ears, and while drowsiness gradually covered his mind, Ace thought that he could have dreamt that, Eli slipping inside of his sleeping bag, joining him silently during the night... He could have dreamt that, but the coldness of her skin against his and the soft motion of her face against his neck were enough to pull Ace out of his light sleep.

"...Eli...?" he asked hesitantly.

As the girl's sigh caressed on his ear, Ace turned around and confirmed that she was here. Blinking slowly his heavy eyes, he saw a little smile on her shadowed face.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Sorry I woke you."

"It's okay." Ace yawned and as he stared at the smiling girl, thoughts pertaining to what had prevented him to find sleep formed in his mind along with a taste of bitterness. "What will the others think if they find you here...?" he let his mouth speak his mind harshly, hoping to see remorse in her big green eyes.

Deeply, she peered in his orbs, and instead of the remorse he had been expecting, a tad of annoyance. Eli pressed her chest a little tighter against his and sighed away her irritation.

"I'll leave before they wake up...?" she offered quietly.

"You ?" Ace huffed. "You're always the last one to wake up."

"Don't be like that..." Biting her bottom lip, she was averting his mocking gaze now. "I want this... It's just that I don't want them to get involved." Her voice was quietened by her guilt and slowly, Eli shifted her head to look at him; she had sad smile on her pretty face. "I just want to be with you, Ace..."

Looking at her, listening to her, emotions started swirling inside of him. Her touch, her voice, her eyes... the young man soaked in the sweet affection of his lover, almost drowning in his own feelings.

"Eli... I..." His throat tightened, blocking the words he wished he could spoke.

_I love you, I love you so damn much !_

Almost suffocating in his love of her, Ace slowly brought his hands to her cheeks and pressed his forehead against hers, seeking peace within her tenderness. "I've wanted this for a long time now... I..."

_Say it ! _Once again Ace found himself cut short because of the fear of the very words that he was almost yelling in his head. _Just say it !_

"Me too," Eli said tenderly.

In her sweet reply, Ace found purchase of his inward confession. Slowly, she pressed her lips on his, pacifying his fears with a simple kiss. The young man couldn't fool himself, though, he would have to tell her one day but just... not today.

* * *

_Ace is chickening out ! Boooh !  
Come on Flame Boy, be a man !_

_Little note : Oda stated that "Sanji has the ability to read any woman's three sizes." I extended this ability to every aspect of a woman's behavior__.  
_

_See you on Monday ;)_


	19. Matchless

_'Freckles' - chapters 78._

_As he disappeared, her eyes fell on the pile of clothes in her arms. What could have changed his mood so suddenly ? Eli wondered while she let the blanket slide down from around her body. But the image of his smile, his freckles, and his lovely dark eyes, if mocking, brought a grin to Eli's face._

_

* * *

_

**Matchless**

She was here, very much here. Unlike the first time when the young man had found the bed deserted of the presence of the girl he had spent a part of the night with, she was here. Unlike all the nights after that first one, she was here. Eli was lying next to him, breathing quietly. Ace let his eyes travel on her fair skin as it was caressed by the first rays of the morning sun. Contently, he decided that he loved this kind of waking up.

"Twig..." Ace whispered before kissing the sleeping girl's shoulder.

She made a little mewing sound and rolled her body to the side. It made some memories resurface in the dozy mind of the dark-eyed pirate. All those mornings back in Fuschia where the girl shared his room; he was blind to the loveliness of it all then.

A little smile on his face, Ace shifted closer to his loved one. Sluggishly, he caressed the skin of her back with his lips while letting drowsiness gradually soak behind his heavy eyelids. Enjoying for the first time a tenderness that had the scent of a morning breeze : a tenderness very unfamiliar to him, sweetly intoxicating. Matchless...

The second waking up Ace experienced however, wasn't as soft and charming as the first one. Vaguely, he heard the -loud- sound of his -annoying- brother's arrival. The flame user then felt Eli's body struggling in his arms, before the girl covered the both of them under the blanket.

Against his skin he could feel Eli's heartbeats accelerating. Ace could also hear the frantic breathing, the whole state of fear the girl was in awaking his excitation with a little smirk.

Eli slowly lifted her head from the blanket, a thin ray of light seeping under as she did. "Hey Luffy..." She said quietly, her voice still gruff by her slumber.

"We're going to steal gold," Luffy said. "And then we're leaving."

Her body was so tense as Eli nodded wordlessly.

"Are you coming ?"

"Sure... NO !" Eli shook her head rapidly and Ace found himself pressing his lips together to choke back a chuckle.

Luffy, however, _did_ chuckle and this caused the flame user's impatience to resurface above his amusement. If Eli didn't get rid of his annoying rubber brother, Ace surely wouldn't mind. Being so tightly wrapped around her naked body, the young man knew exactly how to tremendously improve the loveliness of this special morning.

"We'll- I mean I, _I_ will prepare the Merry," she blabbered rapidly, her body trembling against Ace's.

"Okay." Was Luffy's simple reply.

As he listened to his little brother's footsteps gradually growing weaker, Ace's lips curled up in a smile resembling a sneer. _Good riddance_. Without waiting anymore, the eager young man let his hands travel on the girl's body, his fingertips knowing the path of her pleasure as if it was his own. She was still shivering and even stronger as his skin trailed down her stomach.

With a gasp, Eli's head snapped around as she uncovered the young man whose smirk grew a bit wider.

"For how long have you been awake ?"

Ace laid his lips on the girl's back, a childish chuckle caressing her fair skin as he did. Her spine was what his kisses aimed for, the little moan she uttered confirming her sensitivity on that very spot. _Score_. Eli's body went a little lax as Ace's hand -a few degrees hotter- trailed up her chest to rest on her small shoulder.

"Ace...?"

She obediently complied to the light push he applied and lay on her back with a soft sigh. The young man moved on her, liking the sensation of his arousal pressed on her inner thigh. She made a delicious sound at the contact of his leg between hers. Her pale skin was all Ace could see as his dark gaze traveled on her body since it was offered so charmingly to his eager eyes. The young pirate gave his body a stretch as he leaned forward, her thin stomach shivering under the light pressure of the flame user's skin on hers.

"You look happy..." she said quietly.

With a short intake of air, Eli turned her blushing face away as Ace got closer. Not that he minded a little resistance. It was cute, futile, but cute. Slowly, the fame user brought his mouth to her ear, speaking his desire with the motion of his lips. "I am... Aren't you ?"

Her heartbeats accelerating; he knew exactly which buttons to push in order to ignite her want. Letting his heated breath blow into her ear, Ace felt the girl's body thrilling against his own. _Almost there_. With the help of his unnatural heat, he would make her will melt.

"We have to go." Eli said in an attempt to stop him.

"No way." Ace smirked against her neck. "I'm not letting you go... not you Eli..."

Her nape, also a very weak spot of hers, was hidden there. Ace slid his hand under her neck and into her mane, eliciting a very exciting moan from the powerless girl.

"What do you mean ?" She asked, her soft voice barely reaching his ears as Ace's attention was completely focused on breaking down her resistance.

"The others... they always left..." He said in a breath.

Obviously the eager young man should have taken a second before letting these words pass through his lips. But his lips were solely meant to kiss her, and his mind was already lost in the exquisite prospect of invading Eli completely. He was yearning to push himself inside of her. Impatient to hear her whine and see her pretty face, flustered, her gaze pleading, begging for more; the memory of the previous night's ecstasy making it hard for him to grasp the gravity of the mistake he just did.

"What _others_ ?"

Eli's face wasn't as exciting has it had been the previous night. Her voice wasn't as sweet. And her gaze... her gaze was everything but pleading.

Now lifted up above Eli and Ace couldn't be mistaken, she was angry.

Reflecting in his eyes, the spoiled prospect of pleasure had the color of jade. It was stirring with ire. It was deep and piercing. Ace felt his guts wrenching within the grasp of the guilt. Or was it frustration ? He felt his erection outrageously pressed against her, and that caused embarrassment to swell inside of his starving flesh.

"And how many are you talking about Ace ?"

With a hard swallow, young man tried to unwind his throat but the sharp net wrapped around his insides, he could not ignore.

"Were they pretty, Ace ? Were they kind ?"

He felt his face growing stiffer. Her words were harsh but it wasn't their meaning that pained the young man. No. The pain that Eli felt he could see and it splashed on his tainted arrogance; on his dirty crave.

"Do you remember their names, Ace ? Their faces maybe... or their bodies...?"

She was hard, she was burning cold and she hated him then, and somehow, he understood, slightly. What Ace did not understand however, was why did he started feeling a boiling sensation raising inside of him...

"Tell me Ace."

Maybe it was because he knew he did nothing wrong.

No harm was done except the silly mistake of mentioning _them_ to the girl he loved and because he loved her she should know it was different. His sentiments were true. Matchless.

"Listen Eli." Regaining his assurance with the certainty of his innocence, Ace looked deeply into the angry eyes of his lover. He wanted to pierce through veil of ire and make her understand that she was... "You're special to me, you've always been special."

But if Eli remained resolute in her state of hatred Ace wasn't going to let her do so. Firmly, he grabbed her arms to bring her back to reality. Futile attempt...

"Don't touch me !" she barked, disgusted distorting her pretty face. Struggling violently, she tore out of his embrace and turned around, covering her naked form from the sight of her lover.

Unfair ! Ace felt frustration exploding inside of him, covering his common sense as well as his loving sentiment. How dare she acted like this ? Yes, he had sex with some girls before, but never had he ever loved someone else other than her.

Out of annoyance, a sigh left his mouth as Ace stared at Eli's back.

"WHAT ?" she roared, jerking around, her face flustered with anger.

"How can you act like this !" Ace said scornfully. "I'm not the one who's still fantasying like a ten-year-old on a childish crush !"

"THE HELL ?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Eli."

"You mean... Towa...?"

"...Whatever." Ace muttered, turning his face away as he couldn't bear to look at her anymore. Not as she mouthed _his_ name.

That was said then, and he knew he was right. Eli never stopped thinking about _him_. _He_ was the reason why she seemed so hard to touch. _He_ was the reason why she had pushed him away so many times. The way she spoke about _him_, the way she voiced _his_ name... her eyes lost in a place he couldn't see, the fear that had struck Ace a few weeks ago came back like a whirlwind; what if she still loved him ?

In his mind the shadow of a man with no face loomed above the girl he loved.

"He's dead Ace ! He saved me and he's dead," she argued. "And now you're-"

"And now he's mister perfection forever," Ace said wryly.

"You're being... mean..."

He couldn't look at her, he _wouldn't_ look at her for he knew that as he would see his eyes reflecting in the green of her own, he'd feel stupid. Ace gritted his teeth, the anger he felt had the shape of a man. A man that had died. Had he ever touched her ? Maybe kissed her..?

"You left and had sex with all these women, and now you're turning this against me..."

_And you loved him..._ This was far worse.

"I should have waited for you for three years ?" He barked, hating the very words he was throwing to her face. "Is that what you wanted ?"

As Eli mumbled something intelligible, Ace, submerged by his anger, looked with disdain at her. "What ?"

"I... I didn't _want_ anyone else..." She stammered, the pain she felt hammering in his ears along with his angry heartbeats.

"Well, I'm sorry." His back still turned to her, Ace averted his gaze once more and put on a shirt. He was eager to leave her side as soon as possible. "But I'm not perfect..." He said, truly hating the feeling of regret stirring inside of him. "I'll never be."

"I don't want you to be perfect !" Eli said loudly. "That's not what I love about you, idiot !"

And then, the sweetest word, mouthed by the sweetest lips. She did not even seem to notice. Eli was frowning as the words slipped out of her mouth. She did not seem to notice how they swept on him, washing all of the anger and the jealousy away.

At that moment Ace knew that no other girl could ever make him feel this way. He somehow knew, without doubt, that she felt the same. Their love was theirs and only theirs; new, weird, strong, and... matchless.

After a moment of intense staring, Eli seemed to notice his smile. With big green eyes she scanned those lips and above, his gaze. Did she see the love he had for her then ?

"What ?" Eli asked, slightly irritated.

Apparently not and so, he smiled. _Cute_.

"WHAT ?" She stomped on the fluffy ground, losing her balance a bit as she did.

_Very cute_.

Ace couldn't force down the smile on his face as he looked at her. She was very much irritated and he was very much in love with her. The young man decided it was very much perfect that way.

Appeased, he grabbed her clothes piled near her feet, and put them in her hands. "Here."

"_That's not what I love about you, idiot !"_ With a quiet chuckle, Ace nestled his hands behind his neck and walked over to the beanstalk, Eli's weakened glare clinging on his back. _I love you too... idiot._

_

* * *

_

**Betaed by charmedward.**

_Look, a Twig._

_I know that it wasn't really necessary but it was requested (you know who you are and I hope you enjoyed it). And Twigs seem to put me in an exceptionally good mood. I wish that you too :)_

_Oh and, of course, Ace's 'arousal' died out even though I didn't mention it. I'm writing this since my beta told me "_You left poor Ace with his arousal, might wanna help him out with that problem XD_" and I really didn't know where to put it. Or maybe I'm a bit lazy. Let's say he didn't really care for it as he was facing a very resentful Eli._

_See you soon on Freckles ;)_


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